Sitting at dinner in the home of their benefactor, listening to a private violin/piano concert later, in his living room, were experiences far from the normal lives of 11 Torch Scholars recently treated to a whirlwind trip to Washington, D.C.

“Everything was so memorable,” said Ana Hidalgo, a biology major from Lawrence, Mass. “I felt like we were celebrities. It was an amazing experience, listening to classical music. I’ve never listened to music like that before especially in someone’s living room.”

Hidalgo and 10 fellow Torch scholars joined Anthony Manganaro and family, Oct. 6 to spend time with the family who gave them a chance at an education. The Manganaros made the lead gift supporting the new scholarships, which provide a free education to students who have overcome exceptional odds to move into higher education.

The visit to the capitol came about at Anthony Manganaro’s suggestion. “When he heard that most of the students had not been to the D.C. area, he said he would like to have us all down for a visit,” said Meghan Allen Eliason, director of the Torch Scholars program.

The purpose of the visit was to deepen the relationship between the Manganaros and students, but also, to broaden the experiences of the students, she said. “For some students, it was their first plane trip or first hotel stay,” Eliason said. “The purpose was both to expose students to a new part of the country and historic sites, but equally important, to allow them to spend time with the Manganaros.”

The concept of family is one that resonated strongly with Torch Scholar Joey Bordieri of Foxboro, Mass. “They’re a really wonderful family. They wanted to make us all feel like we’re a part of their family; the want to mentor us.”

Bordieri is a communications major who hopes one day to work in development; he works part-time now in Northeastern’s development office. “I love to fundraise for people who don’t have any money,” he said. “I want to help other people get the opportunities in life like the one I’ve been given.”

That opportunity translates to friendships as well as educational opportunity, said scholar Nadia Alvarez, a health sciences major from San Diego. “For me, these guys are my family,” she said of her fellow Torch scholars. “We’ve had so many similar experiences in life, and the thing that binds us together is the fact that we’re here to succeed, no matter what our backgrounds are.”

Meeting the Manganaros was, thus far, one of the most memorable experiences she has had. “They made us feel so welcome in their home,” Alvarez said. “They didn’t just treat us like we were people they were donating money to; they made us feel like family.”

All Torch Scholars participated in the trip. Besides Hidalgo, Bordieri and Alvarez, they include Melanie Araujo of Somerville, Mass., QinRui Pang of Boston’s Charlestown neighborhood, Besa Baja of the Dorchester neighborhood, Michael Toney of Melrose, Mass., Jordan Munson of Lubec, Maine, Danny Vazquez of Lawrence, Mass., Ulysses Ifill of Brooklyn and Odalis Polanco of Dorchester.