Meet our 2026 Perugia Scholars!

In April 2026, the SPSCA Scholarship Committee awarded four scholarships for a month of Italian language study at the Università per Stranieri di Perugia. Our Scholarship Program is a major way for our members to connect and collaborate with our counterparts in Perugia.

2026 Scholars from left to right: John LaManna, Karen Rosatti, Shandra Sgobba, and Peter Greenfield

John LaManna, a Seattle-based retiree, is proud of his Italian heritage. He has been visiting Italy since 1988 to connect with his family and build lasting friendships, all while continuing to study la bella lingua. A longtime member and volunteer with SPSCA, he has supported the organization since the 1990s and contributed to the restoration of the Fontana Maggiore in Perugia's Piazza IV Novembre. John looks forward to connecting with SPSCA members in Perugia, sharing cultural experiences, and inspiring future visits to Seattle.

Karen Rosatti traces her roots back to Sigillo, a piccolo paese in Umbria. Part of her family left Italy and settled in Minnesota, where she spent memorable times with relatives learning about Italian culture, traditions, and of course, food! Now a retired teacher living in Kirkland, she has been an active SPSCA member by volunteering and serving on the board. Her first time in Italy was on a business trip with a commercial fishing company, offering a unique introduction to cities like Rome, Venice, and Milan. Karen is excited to spend a month in Perugia, soaking in the culture and learning Italian piano piano... one step at a time.

Shandra Sgobba, a Seattle hairstylist, credits cherished memories of her nonna, full of warmth and generosity, for sparking her passion to discover her Italian heritage. Since 2022, she immersed herself in the language, even adopting a household "rule" of watching only Italian films and TV. She has traveled extensively throughout Italy, forming friendships that helped uncover family roots. A SPSCA member for two years, she especially enjoyed volunteering at Cinema Italian Style 2025. Shandra hopes to use her Italian to help her connect her Italian American and Italian families, and inspire more relatives to visit Italy.

Peter Greenfield is a passionate student of Italian, honing his skills through years of study in Seattle. A longtime SPSCA member, he leads La Tavola , an online Italian conversation group and shares his love of the language by hosting Italian film nights at his retirement community. During his career as a lawyer, Peter studied multiple languages, including Latin, Hebrew, German, French, and Spanish, but Italian remains his favorite. After many trips to Italy over the past 15 years, he looks forward to sharpening his conversational fluency during his month in Perugia and deepining his connection to the culture.

SPSCA would like to thank one of our longtime community partners, Caffè Umbria, for their generous contribution to fund one of our 2026 scholars!

Moreover, many thanks to our Scholarship Committee and to everyone who applied! If you’d like to be considered for a future scholarship, please get involved. Come to the wine tasting, attend our annual picnic, practice your Italian at La Tavola, or propose an event. Help us get to know you before we read your application!