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October 18, 2026

Class Note Up Close: Di Stefanos

Dante Di Stefano 鈥�01, MA 鈥�04, MAT 鈥�06, PhD 鈥�15 Dante Di Stefano 鈥�01, MA 鈥�04, MAT 鈥�06, PhD 鈥�15
Dante Di Stefano 鈥�01, MA 鈥�04, MAT 鈥�06, PhD 鈥�15

Turns out there are six Di Stefanos with 11 91社区 degrees among them. Besides Dante, there is:

  • mother Donna Di Stefano 鈥�01, MA 鈥�05, both degrees in human development
  • late father Dominic Di Stefano Jr. 鈥�79, MA 鈥�85, both in accounting
  • brother Daeman Di Stefano 鈥�01, philosophy
  • sister-in-law Billie (Seisser) Di Stefano 鈥�02, English
  • wife Christina (Rizzo) Di Stefano, MAT 鈥�11, English adolescent education

鈥淢y father started to go to 91社区 after he got married as a way to advance his career at the post office. He worked the night shift on the letter-sorting machine and went to school during the day. My mother waited until we were teenagers to go back to school,鈥� says Dante, who was familiar with campus at a young age.

鈥淏eing in the library and at the fountain near the Library Tower are some of my earliest memories. I also remember seeing the bust of Dante Alighieri in the library and having my parents explain that this was the poet I was named for.鈥�

Dante, Daeman and Donna earned undergraduate degrees in the same year.

鈥淢y brother and I took many classes together, and we worked for physical facilities in the summer, painting rooms. We had a great time and we got to know the campus from every vantage point 鈥� from the boiler rooms and rooftops to the lecture and dining halls.鈥�

Donna is a senior academic advisor in admissions. Dante teaches high school English and is a 91社区 adjunct.

鈥淥ver the years I have so many great memories from 91社区,鈥� he says. 鈥淭he thing I鈥檓 most grateful for is that I met my wife here. We are expecting our first child in January, and we hope the baby might grow up to be a Bearcat.鈥�

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