Scholarships one of late Orland Park teen’s legacies
Originally published November 5, 2015
“Although seven years have come to pass,
“Her legacy lives on through the scholarships you’ve helped amass!”
— Organizers of the Gianna Esposito Halloween Haunted Faire
The Gianna Esposito Halloween Haunted Faire was held Friday at the Orland Chateau.
It has been seven years since Esposito, of Orland Park, died of liver failure at age 18. The freshman student at Columbia College Chicago had a passion for photography and the arts, which is why her parents, Gene and Vicki Esposito, along with the event planners — Gianna’s aunt and uncle, Rick and Laura Macarol — decided to turn the event into a way to fund endowed scholarships to honor the talented Gianna.
The fundraiser is a gathering of family and friends and consists of a dinner, memories of Gianna, a costume contest, music provided by a disc jockey, raffles and a silent auction.
The family chose to establish the Gianna Esposito Memorial Scholarship at Columbia College Chicago because of her passion for the arts and her compassionate spirit. Keeping her memory alive by funding arts education seemed like the best way to honor such a dynamic and creative student.
To date, the event has raised about $37,000 for the scholarships, awarded annually to one student.
For the 2015-16 year, Columbia College Chicago has selected Liliana Alfaro, a sophomore photography student, to receive the scholarship. In addition to being a student, Liliana interns at the Museum of Contemporary Photography at 600 S. Michigan Ave., Chicago; and is an assistant teaching artist at Marwen, a nonprofit arts organization at 833 N. Orleans St., Chicago, according to her online Columbia College Chicago Talent Pool profile.
I received a copy of Alfaro’s letter of thanks for being selected as the winner of the scholarship. She said the award is significant to her because “it focuses on supporting students who are committed to engaging with a community-oriented not-for-profit organization.”
She also wrote that, “Throughout high school, I was a committed student at Marwen — a non-for-profit arts organization that educates and inspires under-served young people through the visual arts. Marwen has had such a positive impact on me that I wanted to help carry on its mission. I am proud to say that I am an assistant teaching artist for the analog photography courses there, and strive to one day ascend into the position of a teaching artist. As a result of this scholarship, I will be able to take what I have learned from this transformative Columbia College experience and share it with Chicago youth.”
For more information about the scholarship, visit colum.edu/student-financial-services/create-a-plan/scholarships/gianna-esposito.php.
For more information about the Museum of Contemporary Photography, visit mocp.org.
For more information about Marwen and its programs and exhibits, visit marwen.org.
Due to the prep work and monumental effort required to put on the event, the Gianna Esposito Halloween Haunted Faire will take place every other year from now on, with the next one planned for October 2017. That said, donations can be made at any time. Contact Laura or Rick Macarol at (708) 925-9960 or email rlm412@comcast.net.
Orland adds phone app
The village of Orland Park has moved up another rung on the technology ladder, unveiling a phone app for Android and iPhone platforms.
Simply download the free app from the iTunes App Store and/or Google Play Store by searching for “Village of Orland Park.” The app provides information about the village, recreation, events, building and road updates, requests and permits, services, shopping, dining and the civic engagement program, InOurCommunity.