Angelina Ragusa and Gabriella Firpo participated in the Italian Heritage Parade on October 12, 2011 representing their Italian culture. Along their journey to becoming princesses in the Parade they discover more of whom they are and what being Italian is all about. In exciting interviews with Gabriella and Angelina, they have certainly made memorable moments with the other princesses and their experiences.

Angelina Ragusa:

Q: “Did you originally want to be in this parade or did your parents ask you to participate in it?”

A: “The Italian Heritage Parade is always so much fun, but the best part is meeting all these girls who are very similar! I also really enjoyed all the events that lead up to the parade, for example the Grand Ball which is huge dinner at Fairmont, which is the crowning of the new Queen Isabella!”

Q: “What were your feelings when you first got on the float the day of the Parade? Did you have the same feelings you had every year when you went to watch the Parade?”

A: “When i first steeped onto the float this year, it brought back so many great   memories from the year before and i was just so excited for the parade to start so I can see everyone! My feelings this year were definitely a little different from last year because last year i didn’t know what to expect since it was my first year, but i was definitely just as excited, if not more excited since it was my first year!”

Q: “Has this experience brought you closer to your Italian heritage?”

A: “This experience has definitely brought me closer to my Italian heritage because i have just learned so much and it really makes me have so much more respect for my Italian culture.”

Q: “What is the best part about being Italian?”

A: “Everything! From the food, the people, and the culture! It is all so amazing and just so fascinating! I’m so proud to be Italian!”

Q: “Throughout this experience, what have you gotten out of it? Has it changed a part of you or has it made you realize something about yourself that you never knew before? How, if able, did the experience in the Parade affect you?”

A: “Throughout this experience i have made some lifelong friends and memories! I also got so much closer to my culture than i could ever imagine.”

Gabriella Firpo:

Q: “Did you originally want to be in the parade?”

A: “A few months before the Italian Heritage Parade festivities began my mom asked me if i wanted to maybe participate in the parade somehow. At first I thought okay it would look good on my applications so why not, but i didn’t realize at that time how much else i would get. There is an application process and an interview and after that you wait in a room to find out what position on the court you are chosen for.”

Q: “Did you still want to be in the parade after going through the whole interview/ application process?”

A: “As soon as I got out of the interview I knew I wanted to do this, talking to the other girls it sounded like a super fun opportunity. Also being Italian is one of the best things about me and I wanted to share that with anyone I could.”

Q: “What were the feelings you had when you went on the radio and your participation in the parade itself?”

A: “I had the amazing chance to be on the radio and promote the Italian Heritage Parade, the thoughts going through my head probably were along the lines of remember what to say, they won’t ask you anything you don’t know, and have fun with it. On the float my thoughts were smile and wave.”

Q: “Do you feel this opportunity to participate in the Parade is a once in a lifetime chance?”

A: “We got to do so many things, from going to some of the best Italian restaurants in north beach, to meeting the Italian consul general, Fabrizio Marcelli. Yes this was definitely a once in a lifetime chance.”

Throughout this whole experience, both Angelina and Gabriella have found a dormant part of themselves that have finally “awakened”. Although Angelina has participated in this parade before, Angelina continuously discovers more about her Italian heritage and grows strongly in “molding” herself into a greater person than she already is. Gabriella Firpo had a blast the first time she participated in the Parade, and “this event gave [her] a deeper understanding and connection to [her] Italian Heritage. [She] learned about how many people really love the Italian culture and traditions; [she] even tried to teach myself some Italian”! “So far [she] has nothing but [she’s] working on it!”