Honoring Their Parents’ Love of Learning

The creation of the Don V. and Sara G. Giunta Endowed Memorial Scholarship was a family affair.

By Janet Siroto

Photograph courtesy of the Giunta Family

Left to right: Beatrice “Tessie” Giunta, Peggy Giunta, Dan Rametta, Sara G. Rametta and Victoria Giunta

Let’s travel back 90 years ago and imagine what it must have been like to be among one of the earliest classes of incoming freshmen at the brand-new University of Tampa.

That’s the campus that the late Domenic Giunta ’36, ’38 — whom his family called “Don” — knew so well. He became the very first in his large family to attend college (his parents had emigrated from Italy around the turn of the century). Spartan life sparked a deep love of learning for Don. In 1936, he graduated from UT with a degree in commerce; two years later, he earned a bachelor’s in education here.

Meanwhile, his late wife, Sara, (they married in 1941) had taken a very different road. She hadn’t been able to attend college due to tough times and the financial hardship that her family (also immigrants from Italy) endured. She had left school early, before earning her high school diploma, to help support her clan.

These two paths — one through college, the other derailed — played a key role in the creation of the Don V. and Sara G. Giunta Endowed Memorial Scholarship. This award is designed for a full-time college student with financial need, with preference given to a first-generation student (echoing Don’s experience) with a bio/environmental sciences major.

The scholarship was created by the younger generation of Giuntas: daughter Sara G. Rametta and husband Daniel J. Rametta; daughters Victoria J. and Beatrice T. Giunta; and daughter-in-law Peggy G. Giunta (widow of the late son Don G. Giunta). It honors their parents and gives back to UT, which provided such an important foundation in Don’s life. Its goal is to open doors to those college students who are the very first in their families to pursue a degree.

COMING TO AMERICA

Don and Sara’s parents all arrived on American shores from Santo Stefano Quisquina, Sicily, early in the 20th century. News had spread across Italian villages that steady work was available in the cigar industry in Ybor City, says Tessie (Beatrice’s nickname), which seemed like a good opportunity, compared to their work on local farms.

“Once in the United States, every member of our father’s family who was old enough worked to help support the family,” she says. “The goal of our father’s family was for one of the children to get a college degree. Due to his family’s support and his academic abilities, our father was able to enroll at UT.”

Spartan life suited Don ... and then some. He excelled academically and personally; he found the student body close-knit and friendly. He participated in many of the early offerings at UT, including being on staff of The Minaret and The Moroccan, the Pan-Hellenic Council, the President’s Round Table and the Rho Nu Delta fraternity.

In addition to his inspiring professors, “our father spoke highly of Frederic Spaulding, the first UT president. Our father considered him a wonderful man and a forward thinker,” says Victoria.

SHAPED BY SPARTAN LIFE

In the years after graduation, Don built a vibrant life in Tampa. He embarked on a 38-year career as a middle school science and math teacher, channeling his passion for learning into his professional life. He sponsored an array of student clubs at his school to further engage young minds.

He married Sara, who had earned a cosmetology degree and worked as a beautician. They raised their family, always stressing the value of getting an education.

Don also continued to work on the small family farm started by his parents. “He always emphasized the importance of conserving our natural resources and protecting our fragile environment,” says Tessie.

UPLIFTING THE FAMILY LEGACY

The sisters and their sister-in-law and brother-in-law wanted to honor the role that UT played in both Don and Sara’s lives and their own. “Throughout the years and in all of our endeavors, our mother and father were our mentors and our guiding light. This scholarship embodies two of the many values that our parents instilled in us: the importance of an education and helping others,” says Victoria.

“Were it not for The University of Tampa, our father would not have had the opportunity to earn a college degree. That degree changed his life for the better and, in turn, benefited all of us. For that reason, the University had a special place in his heart and continues to have a special place in our hearts,” adds Tessie.

Don’s daughters say that the scholarship is also meaningful to them because it will open doors that were closed to their mother. Sara wasn’t able to attend college since her family needed her to work alongside them as they strived to make ends meet. Although college wasn’t an opportunity she could seize, Sara always encouraged her children to do well in school and never stop learning.

THE CAMPUS CONNECTION

Don was a member of the Legacy Society, meaning he donated to UT through his estate. This scholarship, created by his children, adds another dimension to that legacy. It expresses how much the Giuntas appreciate the happy memories their family created on campus together.

While they are not UT alumni, the daughters say the school was the scene of many treasured family outings over the years. They fondly recall attending the Golden Spartans Alumni luncheons with their dad. He and his former classmates would regale them with stories about their beloved former professors. They would reminisce about how the campus had evolved since the 1930s, with Don sharing tales of what it was like to attend classes upstairs in Plant Hall back in the day. For instance, when a winter chill would set in, the professors would ask students to go outside and gather firewood so they could get a good blaze going in the fireplace.

Tessie shares one favorite memory of the times the Giuntas gathered on campus. “After a luncheon, guests were allowed to climb to the top of the minarets. Our father said the last time he made that climb was when he was a student and a writer on the yearbook staff,” she recalls. “It was very special for him to make that journey again after so many years, and it was meaningful to me to share that experience with him.”

Clearly, these stories hold a place of honor for members of the Giunta family. Thanks to their generosity, a new generation of students will be able to make their own Spartan memories last a lifetime.