she is of Italian descent, her is this little thing she wrote about her family Emily DiDonato Student Two Dreams. One Heart. My married great grandparents came together from Italy to America through Ellis Island. Their combined courage sustained them through a series of difficult trials, including once when my great-grandfather, Felice, lost some of his fingers in a factory accident. Eventually they settled in Dutchess County, New York, where their dreams came true. They purchased a farm, worked hard and raised a family that included my grandfather. I am but a single rose in the family garden - a garden that grows stronger and more fruitful every day. http://www.weareellisisland.org/stories/view/12