As a lifetime resident of Hampshire County and a person who has never done much traveling, it is not a secret to me that I have never experienced much culture. The only real culture I have see is that of the mid-eastern United States, in which there is not much variance. All my life I have thought of what other countries and people where really like, but the only way I had experienced them was through the T.V. and a few books possibly. For of a person of my curiosity, this surely does not suffice. 
The world of today is a much smaller, more intertwined world than it was in past generations. Almost every person who travels to even a small town will inevitably come in to contact with someone of a different race, sexual preference, or maybe just a different religion. The problem with these encounters is that they often produce stereotypes because they are such isolated incidents. I feel that I can in no way base my knowledge of other cultures on my chance encounters or through the television programs I’ve seen As I see it, the Italian Exchange may be the best chance I have to experience these things as a young person... and possibly in my lifetime. When a once in a lifetime opportunity presents itself to me, I can see no other alternative that to go after it full-heartedly.
Although I have mentioned some reasons and benefits of the trip in the former paragraphs, I will attempt to expound upon them. The foremost reason that I would like to participate in the Exchange Program is that as a curious person and a seeker of knowledge, the thought of exploring a foreign land and experiencing a foreign culture is one that incites much exhilaration. A lover of the outdoors as well, I can only imagine the beauty of the Alps and the serenity of villages and buildings that have been less influenced by the modern world. The food cannot go without mention either... ahhh. The thought of that sweet chocolate that melts when it touches your tongue makes my mouth water. Oh and the pasta, I have heard that the pasta is heavenly. But I digress; as I see it, I right now cannot consider myself a global citizen. I am hoping through this program that I can come to truly understand the meaning of global citizen and in knowing this, come closer to fulfilling that meaning. I know this will help me as a student because I have only been exposed to one kind of education, the American education. When, or if rather, I visit Italy, I will be visiting and hopefully learning more about their school system. I’ve found through past experiences that if you wish to understand something completely and judge something fairly, you must familiarize yourself with it first hand. I believe that this program is the best way to achieve this.
Shifting focus from my feelings about this trip to myself as a person, I would say that I am not the typical Hampshire High School student. Along with playing three varsity sports, I have also managed to maintain a cumulative G.P.A. exceeding 4.0. I enjoy taking classes that challenge me and in which I can draw my own conclusions and voice them as well. Although I’m not the most knowledgeable person when it comes to politics, I am very opinionated and passionate about what I do know. I am not saying that I am narrow minded by any means, but I do not easily back down from a debate.
My two major academic interests are definitely history and science. Even though they aren’t very similar in a sense, they draw some parallels. Both, at some level, are the study of humanity and its past. These are two things that, I believe, are most important to our society and education. I know that there isn’t much chance of me learning much science, but I hope that I can greatly increase my cache of knowledge in terms of the history of Western civilization and how it affects European, and even American, society today.
I am also a fan of almost any kind of competitive sport, especially baseball and football (American football). In the past years, I have not really followed any sport that closely, though. This still does not change the fact that I love to see them when I get the chance, and I love to play them even more. Computers are another one of my main hobbies. I spend a large portion of my home time right here at my computer… which if I may add was built by yours truly. My knowledge of computers is definitely not vast in comparison to some, but it suffices. I am not trying to say I am a computer expert, but rather a computer literal individual who understands a little of the digital world.
There truly aren’t too many things that I don’t like. I consider myself a rather easygoing person in general, although some mistake my sarcastic brand of humor for rudeness or insensitivity. Both of these are misconceptions that I hope will be cleared up once a person actually gets to know me.
My home life is I’m sure not the greatest, but it is definitely far from the worst. I have two loving parents, divorced as it may be, that live in the same town and I see on a regular basis. Although they are not as involved in my academic life as I would hope, they are there when I need them and keep me steered in the right direction.
As I look over this essay, I realize that I have been very verbose, so I will make this conclusion a short one. I wish to go on this trip as a means of expanding my view of the world and enlightening myself to different cultures. I feel that I would be an excellent choice for this trip and that I could offer a little bit of “color” to the chosen field. I hope the next time I write anything about the Italian Exchange Program it will be a journal telling of all the great times and people that I encountered while in Italy.