Watch Long Island Girl Get Surprise Acceptance to Her Dream College

Wednesday, Oct. 5, was already a special day for Daniella Giammona. She was speaking at the annual Answer the Call gala, telling all of the people assembled about her father, who died on 9/11.

But unbeknownst to Giammona, she was going to get the surprise of her life.

After her speech (at the 5-minute mark in the video below), Giammona, 17, was joined on stage by Kanicka Ingram-Mann, a representative of Quinnipiac University. Giammona, of Garden City, had applied for early-decision to Quinnipiac. It was her dream school.

It was a surprise to Giammona and her mother, Theresa, when Ingram-Mann officially accepted her as the first student in the Quinnipiac Class of 2021.

“I was in shock, surprised and excited all at the same time,” Giammona said. “I burst into tears because I never expected it. When Rusty [Staub, found of Answer the Call] announced that they had a surprise for me, I never imagined it would be my acceptance to Quinnipiac!”

Answer the Call is an organization that provides assistance to the families of New York City police officers, firefighters, Port Authority police and EMS personnel who were killed in the line of duty. Giammona was only 2 when her father, FDNY Capt. Vincent Giammona, died in the 9/11 attacks. Answer the Call has provided much help to her, her mother and her three sisters over the years since her father’s death.

“Answer the Call lets me know that my dad’s sacrifice will never be forgotten, that my dad will never be forgotten, and that my family will never be alone,” she said in her speech.

But no one told Giammona she would be accepted to her dream school that night. It was a surprise to both her and her mother.

“It was the greatest surprise in my life,” Giammona said. “While we were doing the soundcheck for my speech, a Quinnipiac sign was shown on the big screens. I had asked Lauren [Profeta, of Answer the Call] why it was up there, and she quickly responded that Quinnipiac was a huge benefactor for Answer the Call. I was excited to hear that. She was a quick thinker.

“I never in my wildest dreams thought that they were there for me and that they were coming to personally give me my acceptance,” she added.

Photo: YouTube