Bemidji Graduate Katherine Corradi Wins Trentini Tirolesi Minnesota Scholarship

Katherine Corradi, a Bemidji High School graduate now studying mathematics at Concordia College in Moorhead, was named the 2025 recipient of the Trentini Tirolesi del Minnesota Scholarship and awarded $750 by the club.

The Trentini Tirolesi del Minnesota Club selected Corradi for her commitment to the community, her academic achievements, and her personal knowledge of her Trentini heritage, according to a news release. Corradi reflected on what that heritage means to her in her application. "When I think about my family who made the decision to come to America, I think about their sacrifice and desire to make a better life for their family," she wrote.

That family story stretches back more than a century. Corradi's great-great-grandfather, Eligio Corradi, emigrated from Daone, Italy, to Chisholm in 1903. Her great-grandparents, the late Joe and Rose Corradi, were from Kelly Lake. Her grandparents are Joe and the late Jean Corradi, and her parents are Christopher and Stephanie Corradi of Bemidji.

The Trentini Tirolesi del Minnesota Club was established in 1995 by the Province of Trento in northern Italy to reconnect with descendants of the thousands of emigrants who left that region. The club created its scholarship in 2003 to support those of Trentino descent pursuing post-secondary education.

The Corradi name has appeared on the scholarship more than once. Elizabeth Corradi, who also graduated from Bemidji High School and attended Concordia College in Moorhead, received the 2021 award while pursuing a degree in mathematics and elementary education. Benjamin Corradi, another Bemidji High School graduate, received the 2023 scholarship before entering the political science program at Bemidji State University.

Descendants of Trentino immigrants interested in applying for the 2026 scholarship have until April 1 to postmark their applications. The application is available at trentini.org.