Celia Milano began her research 20 years ago before the internet tools we have today. Listen to how she contacted family by letter. We also discuss her three books.
I was born in New York City and raised in Yonkers, New York. I have several degrees, including an Associate Degree in Applied Science and Technology from Thomas A. Edison State College in Trenton, NJ, a Bachelor Degree in Business Administration from Georgian Court University in Lakewood, NJ and a Master of Science in Management from College of St. Elizabeth, Morristown, NJ. I attended college for over 20 years and one of the sisters at Georgian Court University called me “a lifer.”
For over 30 years, I worked as a computer software engineer in the military and petroleum industries. I am retired and devote my time to researching my family tree. In my free time, I help guide people in writing their memoirs, as I feel it is the most precious gift to the family.
I have written three books: Sicilian Family Adventures; Life’s Curves: When the Present Triggers the Past and Tuscany in July: An Adventure of a Lifetime.
I am also on the board of directors for The Sicilian Project, a non-profit organization that offers free English instructional camps to the children in Sicily. The Sicilian Project is important to me because as a child, I was not allowed to learn the Sicilian dialect, as the thought at that time in New York was to be “Americanized.” The idea that Sicilian children will become bi-lingual and have a greater advantage in the world is very rewarding to me.
