St. James Native Awarded Prestigious Scholarship To Study Cancer Research In Italy

A St. James native recently received the scholarship to study cancer research in Italy this fall.

Alexa DeAngelis, a member of the 2008 graduating class of Harbor Country Day School and a graduate of St. Anthony’s High School and Georgetown University, was recently granted a Fulbright scholarship to study at Sapienza-Universita di Roma in Rome, beginning in October 2017.

As a biochemistry major at Georgetown, DeAngelis was a member of the chemistry club and of the Georgetown University Research Opportunities Program.

She also minored in Italian, studied abroad in Florence and took courses in economics and mathematics, among other subjects.

She graduated Cum Laude from Georgetown in May 2016.

DeAngelis credits her time at Harbor Country Day, St. Anthony’s and Georgetown as instrumental to being awarded such an outstanding honor as the Fulbright grant.

“Probably one of the biggest influences in my life and work ethic comes from Harbor’s motto, ‘Sine Labore Nihil’ – ‘Without work, nothing,’" she said. "I definitely had it taught to me at a young age that anything worth having requires hard work. I still reflect on that often, and it gives me motivation to put in the extra effort in everything I do.”

In addition, DeAngelis says her immersive college education perfectly suited her “wonderful problem of being interested in too many things.”

Throughout her academic career, Alexa’s relentless spirit and ambition has extended far beyond her classwork.

While a student at St. Anthony’s High School in Huntington, she participated in the Student Ambassador Program, the Friar Quest Research Program and served as co-editor of the school yearbook, among her many other extracurricular activities.

She also was a member of the National Honor Society, Math Honor Society and French Honor Society.

DeAngelis was also actively involved with Relay For Life, an American Cancer Society program, for several years, even serving on its executive board for three years while at Georgetown.

A current research technician at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, she is looking forward to using the Fulbright grant to further explore the area of cancer research in Rome.

“I couldn’t be more proud of Alexa and of everything she has achieved since she graduated from Harbor,” Harbor Country Day School Head of School, John Cissel said. “When she was a student here, she never stopped asking questions and exploring possibilities. I’m not at all surprised to see that she’s reached such a high level of success at this point in her life.”

As a Fulbright recipient, DeAngelis joins a prestigious group of awardees, including actor John Lithgow, composer Philip Glass, opera singer Renee Fleming and economist Joseph Stiglitz.

Since Fulbright Program was crated in 1946, over 360,000 individuals from around the world have participated in the program. Roughly 8,000 grants are awarded each year, involving more than 160 countries worldwide.

The student program currently awards nearly 2,000 grants annually in all fields of study. DeAngelis received one of only 11 grants given out this year in the “research” category for Italy.

Congratulations to Alexa DeAngelis!