I consider the Italian Exchange Program to be the opportunity of a lifetime. I never imagined that the chance to visit several European countries and share a home with a family of another culture would be open to me in the first 17 years of my life. 

          I would really enjoy participating in the Italian Exchange Program for several reasons.  One being that I have never been to another country before and I think that it would be absolutely wonderful to see what things are like.  I think it would be great to just get to experience the culture of other place, such as the food, people, language, and history.  I would also really like to see what type of scenery is in other countries.  Flying in an airplane is also another aspect of the trip that is very appealing to me.  I have never flown before, but it has always been something that I have wanted to do.  My parents continue to tell me that one-day they will take my sister and I, but I have yet to see that day.  Speaking of my parents, I would appreciate the time away from home if I had the opportunity to go to Europe.  I love my family, but I am going off to college next year, and have never been away from my family for that amount of time.  Another appealing part of going to Italy would be the opportunity to stay with another family, and get to learn about them, and what they are like.  A comforting thing to me is that I will be over seas with a lot of friends from school, which to me is another worth while part of the experience.  I am a very social person and being around friends is always a blast.

          I think that participating in this trip will make me a better person in many ways.  As coming from a student stand point, this trip will help me to look at the way that other people around the world handle themselves, and I will be able to look at the psychology of the situation.  I can also better my foreign language by having the opportunity to hear and participate in speaking other languages.  I think that as an individual it will help me to be more thankful for what I have.  A lot of people put a lot of effort into getting this trip up and ready.  Many of the faulty and parents at Hampshire High make this trip possible every year, and  without their support we would have no program like Italian Exchange.  I think that as a global citizen this program will really help me to just really become more aware of my surroundings and the people in them.  I would definitely become more culturally minded. 

          My family is one of the greatest families that you will ever come across.  My father’s name is Steve Ritz and my mother’s is Cindy Ritz.  I also have one sister named Julie who is 14 years old.  My father works for the United States Department of Agriculture and he has an office in Romney.  My mother is a stay at home mom.  My parents have been married for 20 years, and we have lived in Hampshire County for 15 of those years.  We are a close family, but a busy family.  We are all involved in activities.  I have talked to my family about hosting an exchange student, and each member of my family is happy with my choice to be part of the program.  They are all excited for me and happy to have the chance to experience another culture also. 

          My main interest at this point in time would have to be sports.  I play three sports as a Hampshire Lady Trojan.  I play on the volleyball, basketball, and softball teams.  I am also a member of Harmony show choir, and I am also a nine-year member of 4-H.  I really enjoy being active, and I like to always be busy.  I have a few hobbies that I like to do which are photography, scrapbooking, and listening to music.  I just recently got into scrapbooking, and I am hoping that if I get selected to go to Italy that I will be able to make a scrapbook from the experience.

          Some things that I really enjoy doing are hanging out with friends, shopping, and just being a kid.   I like to a lot of things that other kids like to do, such as getting on the internet, going to the movies, bowling, and things of that nature.  I enjoy doing all types of activities, and I like playing any type of sport.  I do not have many things that I do not enjoy doing, because I am pretty much up for whatever because I enjoy trying new things. 

          I enjoyed seeing all the pictures that my friends took as part of Italian Exchange VI.  I listened with interest and envy to their stories of their three-week adventure.  I hope that in the spring of 2005 my family and friends will be looking at my pictures and listening to my stories about my experiences in Europe.