A Soldier's Long-Lasting Legacy
Army Captain Gregory T. Dalessio '00/M.A. '04 died in the line of duty. But his spirit lives on in students like Adreanna Dones who share a "commitment to serving others."
It was Adreanna Dones’ first academic year at Seton Hall’s School of Diplomacy and International Relations, and she was driving forward in her studies with determination to finish strong. Dones, an aspiring lawyer from California’s Bay Area, entered Seton Hall in 2023 with enough credits to make her a sophomore. Even though she anticipated earning her degree in only three years, she found herself needing further resources to remain a self-funded student.
Dones’ advisor, Professor Martin Edwards, Ph.D., the School of Diplomacy’s associate dean for academic and student affairs, encouraged her to explore the Captain Gregory T . Dalessio Memorial Scholarship, named for an Iraq War veteran and Seton Hall alumnus killed in the line of duty.
Recipients of the Captain Gregory T. Dalessio Memorial Scholarship must demonstrate the character traits and qualities that Dalessio personified, namely: “A strong commitment to serving others, relentless pursuit of excellence and leadership by example.”
Dones had a strong track record in that regard, from volunteering as a tutor and organizing food banks to participating in a role model program for elementary school students and serving on the District Student Leadership Alliance in her native Alameda County, California. “That was my first realization that I can make change,” she says. Dones wrote about those experiences in her application for the Dalessio scholarship, which also requires a minimum GPA of 3.6. Professor Edwards’ instincts were right: She got it.
Army Captain Gregory T. Dalessio '00/M.A. '04
Established by Dalessio’s family in 2009, the scholarship keeps its namesake alive in legacy and spirit. The oldest of eight siblings, Dalessio earned his bachelor’s degree from Seton Hall in 2000 and his master’s from the School of Diplomacy in 2004. Four years later, not long after attending the dedication of a new playground for Iraqi children, the Cherry Hill native was killed in Baghdad during his second tour of duty. He was protecting his superior officer at the time, an act of bravery that earned him a posthumous Purple Heart, Bronze Star and Combat Infantry Badge. “He got tough jobs done,” a soldier who served alongside Dalessio said at his funeral.
Dalessio’s mother, Maureen Pagano, and Dalessio’s stepfather, Tom Pagano, got to meet Dones at Seton Hall in April 2024, when they shared a table at the annual scholarship donor reception. “That was life-changing for me,” says Dones, “to have that hands-on connection and see what [Dalessio] is still doing for this country—through his parents—by helping students like me. It was really significant the way they talked about him. I had a lot of emotions that day.”
