This is Home

Recently my family spent a day hiking at Silver Falls State Park, about an hour drive from our house. It was a sunny and beautiful hike and I was really struck by how wonderful it all was. As I am preparing to leave home for a year, one of my goals is to take in all the beauty that is here, so that I can fully appreciate all the beauty that is there. The pictures I took don't really do the falls justice, but they do offer a glimpse of what makes Oregon such a lovely place to live.

Introductions and Excitement

My family has always held value in intelligence and awareness of the world, encouraging me to learn as much as possible, and see beyond just the environment immediately around me. I attribute much of my love for learning and travel to my parents, who introduced me to new cultures beginning at a young age. Through several visits to Germany (where my aunt lives with her family) and neighboring European countries, I gradually became more aware and curious about the places that I had visited, and those I had not. In my opinion, the trait of curiosity is one of the best descriptors of my character. I love to learn about new people, places, ideas, and views. This curiosity is the reason that I decided to study abroad with AFS.

Attending public school in a small community, I have not often been extremely challenged or inspired by classwork. In the spring of my eighth grade year I was given the chance to stay with a host family for eleven days in Wadayama, Japan. The entire experience of being immersed in the culture and learning constantly was enough to leave me wanting more. I know that going on exchange I will be presented with the opportunity to learn and try new things every day. I want to gain knowledge about others and myself while abroad.

I also want to share my culture with my host family and community while on exchange. Even with modern capabilities of long distance communication, there is still a large amount of misunderstanding between different cultures. As an exchange student I can provide insight into American culture and give a clear picture of what life is like for an average teenager in the United States. I can create a connection between myself and my host family based on understanding and give and gain perspective.

Upon my return to the United States I would like to involve myself locally with AFS to give information to students interested in exchange. I would love to inspire others to broaden their horizons and create connections worldwide. As a returnee I will be able to provide valuable information about the entire experience and what it means to be a participant in an AFS program.

I am very blessed to have parents that can cover the immediate cost of my exchange, but I need to pay my parents back. Since this experience is expensive and solely mine, I understand that it is my responsibility to pay for it, not my parents. I plan on attending college after my graduation from high school, and would like to go into my college career without any previous debts to my parents, since I know attending university can be very costly. I have not made many efforts to fundraise for my trip yet, as I was only accepted a few weeks ago. I applied for the Viaggio Italiano scholarship, but unfortunately did not receive it. I have a passion for art and have decided to incorporate this into my fundraising efforts. I have recently set up a shop on the website called RedBubble, which allows me to share my artwork and sell it, printed onto phone cases, t-shirts, posters, and many other objects. All of the money made from my shop will go directly to funding my AFS program. I plan on sending out e-mails to relatives and local businesses asking for donations. I am also looking into small events, a garage sale or car wash, that I can hold locally to raise money. Lastly, upon my return home from exchange I will be looking into employment options to cover whatever expenses remain from my trip.

I am greatly looking forward to my year in Italy and all of the new knowledge and memories it will bring. I want to learn and teach while I’m abroad, and then share my experiences after my return. I am convinced that all of the benefits of this opportunity will far outweigh the cost, and that I am about to embark on the trip of a lifetime.

-Elena Krupicka-

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