On Monday, Oct. 14, Waretown resident Alexa Tabbacchino picked up her phone to check the time. What she saw instead was a life-changing text message inviting her to introduce First Lady Jill Biden at the White House.

In June 2023, Tabbacchino traveled to Italy for the Voyage of Discovery, a two-week educational program for college students with Italian heritage, with the National Italian American Foundation. The message she received on Oct.