Hello, my name is Ryan. I’m sophomore at Hampshire High School.  I am applying to go to Italy for the spring 2007 year.  I feel you should choose me to go for many different reasons. The main ones are to go see where my ancestors came from and watch the European culture, to see why my sister liked it so much, and to go places I’ve never been, but only dreamed of.  I am a respectful and attentive student who believes he is a good choice to go. I live in Augusta and I don’t get out much.  My home life is boring and difficult sometimes.  The difficult part is what happened to my sister, Kaitlyn. It’s so hard to lose a loved one, it’s a pain you can’t describe or understand unless it happens to you.  Luckily, I have loving parents to help me get through.
My great-grandfather moved over to America from Italy in the early 1900’s.  He lived in New Jersey for most of his life.  He was in Italy such a short time that I doubt he would remember exactly what it looked like.  I have done family history projects and searched online to look at Italy, but they are only pictures.  Pictures may be worth a 1000 words, but if you haven’t been to there, they don’t mean as much.  From what my sister told me Italy seems so much better than what I have seen in the pictures.  I feel that going will open my eyes to new things and I will learn so much about Italian culture.

Europe is much more diverse then West Virginia, everything is different. Italy is a place I would love to see and to breathe in the culture of.  You can do so much more in Italy than in West Virginia.  I would love to see the sites and explore Italy.  I would also love to see how they are different than from here.  Italian fashion, cars, houses, lifestyles, people, and cities are a great deal more interesting than around here.  A regular person doesn’t get to see Italy; they stay in America and only dream about it.  I want to be one of those chosen people who get to visit Italy.

When my sister returned from her stay in Italy, she changed so much.  She matured much, and seemed wiser.  Italy to her was a gateway to becoming an adult.  I want to go to have the same affect.  Going to another country in another continent can really make you see how people around the world are.  You can see what their daily lives consist of, how they do things different, and how they do things the same.  You can learn so much from the exchange students it’s almost unbelievable.  I think it would be amazing to have an exchange student live in my house and then live in his/hers when I go to Italy.

Italy can teach many things, but most importantly is the experience of going halfway around the world.  I feel you should pick me because I know a lot about Italy, my ancestors are from Italy, I would be good in an exchange, and I really want to see the world!  Seeing some of the chapels and cathedrals is, from what I have heard, breathtaking.  The craftsmanship they had to build such beautiful creations.  So in conclusions I am a very good and willing applicant for Italian Exchange and would really love to go.