AIS-Phila 2026 Scholarship
in Honor of William J. Ward, Jr.
The America-Italy Society of Philadelphia is pleased to announce its Scholarship for Study Abroad in Italy, designed to support outstanding undergraduates enrolled at a Greater Philadelphia area university who will be studying abroad in Italy during the AY 2026-27. This scholarship furthers AIS-Phila’s mission of fostering connections between the US and Italy.
This year, the scholarship is given in honor of William J. Ward, Jr.
The AIS-Phila 2026 Scholarship for Study Abroad in Honor of William J. Ward, Jr. celebrates Bill’s enduring commitment to the Italian language, cultural exchange, and artistic expression. With this scholarship, AIS-Phila is proud to support three outstanding students in their study abroad experiences in Rome, Italy.
On October 29th, at 4 p.m., the scholarship recipients will present on their experiences online, live from Rome at the 2026 William J. Ward Jr. Scholarship Event. In addition, the scholarship recipients will post weekly updates, pictures, and insights about their experiences on AIS-Phila’s social media channels. Stay tuned!
Scholarship Recipients
Will Bredlau
Will Bredlau is a student at Temple University, majoring in Geography & Urban Planning. He is passionate about mobility and public transportation.
Will chose to study at Temple University Rome to experience European urban planning firsthand and understand how the landscape affects people's lives.
He hopes to use the scholarship funds provided by the America-Italy Society of Philadelphia to travel around Italy and learn how other city governments handle transportation infrastructure.
Scholarship Recipient
Spencer Stewart
Spencer Stewart is a sophomore majoring in psychology at Temple University. In his free time, he enjoys watching movies, gaming, thrifting, hanging out with friends, and sightseeing.
He is also an Italian-American, which motivated him to take 2 semesters of Italian during his freshman year. His decision to learn about the Italian language as well as his cultural roots has been an incredibly meaningful one, culminating in his studying abroad at Temple Rome next spring!
He is especially thankful to AIS-Phila for granting him this scholarship, and he is looking forward to sharing all about his spring semester abroad!
Scholarship Recipient
Joseph Pepe
Joseph is a senior computer science major set to graduate in December. He is from Margate City, NJ, which is right along the shore. As we can imagine, he loves going to the beach in his free time. He also enjoys lifting weights, reading, traveling, and exploring new places.
In August, he will be studying at Temple Rome, Italy, and staying with Italian hosts. He is doing this to achieve a more immersive experience and practice his language skills. He does not have specific plans after he graduates, but he will be looking into either work or graduate school.
Scholarship Recipient