Eighteen years of hardship, joy, and experience can impact an individual tremendously. I believe everything that ever happened to me resulted in a passion for an old-world, cultural, and aesthetic viewpoint of life and the world around me. This passion is my life, my dreams, and even my nightmares. It is my world. And no one can take that away.
“… This passion is my life, my dreams, and even my nightmares. It is my world…”
The prime realization of my passion for the classical world came to me in July of 1998. For months I had spent all my Saturdays writing and editing. All the work paid off, when Inland Paperboard and Packaging awarded me a scholarship for a summer experience in Italy through Youth for Understanding (YFU) International Exchange. YFU is one of the oldest and largest foreign exchange programs for high school students. YFU was established in 1951 as a private, nonprofit educational organization dedicated to preparing young people for their responsibilities and opportunities in a changing, interdependent world through exchange programs for high school students around the globe.
Living in a provincial world all your life is like wearing a pair of yellow sunglasses, no matter what you do, and where you go, everything you see will be yellow. Let’s say Italians wear blue sunglasses and everything they see is blue. In this case, my visit to Italy resulted in another pair of sunglasses over my first pair. Coming back to the States, and from that point forward, I saw the world in a brand new global understanding color: green.
The most fascinating part of Italy is the history. Florence, Rome, and Venice were all part of my trip. A culture preserved for 2000 years is sufficient proof of the authenticity and prominence of an old-world empire such as Rome.
Vergil’s epic narration of the birth of Rome continues to live in Latin classrooms around the world!
Furthermore, July and August came from none other than Julius Augustus Caesar who tired of the ten-month calendar. If it weren’t for him, high school students around the world would lack a summer vacation!
The ancients have influenced our world in architecture, literature, law and culture.
The explosion of Rock ‘n’ Roll can be seen as the eruption of the Dionysiac into modern consciousness. We might look to the ancients to understand these ecstatic energies. The classics may be in ‘dead’ languages, but they inform our lives and world today.

Academically, I’ve had some wonderful opportunities to study classics. Currently, I am enrolled in Advanced Placement Latin, and Latin 3 and am holding down a 4.0+ in both. In the past few years, I also received a 4.0 in the credits of Latin 1 and 2. Furthermore, in the summer of 1999 I attended a four-hour credit class through the local community college. This college is actually a branch of the University of Kentucky. The course was Elementary Greek, a required class for UK classics majors. I received a 4.0 in the course, a better understanding of higher education, and above all, a wild passion for the ancient Greek language and culture.
Those summer days were blissful and care free. Because of the low number of attendance, the course was held at the professor’s farm in Bracken County, Kentucky. Here, surrounded by nature and enveloped in one of the oldest professions (agriculture), I created some of my fondest memories. On test days, I would arrive early at the farm to relax and review the test material. In town, the days were hot and balmy; but out there among the grasses and foliage, the temperature seemed to drop dramatically. These blissful and intellectual moments, spent under the cooling shade of a sweet gum tree, lead me to the classics major.

2.
Throughout my life, extracurricular activities, community services and church activities have enriched a huge portion of my spare time.
A major impact on my adolescent life was the Boy Scouts of America. During those years, I achieved the rank of Life Scout and held the positions of scribe, patrol leader, librarian, and quartermaster. Scouting exposed me to high adventure: rappelling, whitewater rafting; and also many opportunities to instruct and lead younger scouts. The BSA also participates in many community service activities. One of these is called Scouting for Food. Scouts go door to door and collect food, which is distributed by a sponsoring church, for the needy.
I am a proud member of the percussion section of the Mason County High School Band. In the recent years, our marching band has improved dramatically in everything. In fact, my class broke several records: 1) being the first to attend the state marching band contest, by receiving three distinguished ratings, and 2) receiving the highest score in the history of Mason County’s Marching Band. I shared some very proud moments with some of my closest friends and learned to appreciate the energy of marching and music.
 The year before I visited Italy, I began working at a quaint Italian restaurant in downtown Maysville. Through this experience, I began a hobby which I’m sure will last a lifetime: cooking. In under a year, I climbed the ladder from the lowest rung, dishwasher, to assistant chef. This love of Italian food also persuaded me to choose Italy as my foreign exchange destination.

3.
I see my future in terms of vocation. At this point, much is shallow dreaming. E.g., every time I hear The Beatles’ song Paperback Writer; well, I want to be a paper back writer.

“…. Dear Sir or Madam, will you read my book?
It took me years to write, will you take a look?
Based on a novel by a man named Lear
And I need a job, so I want to be a paperback writer,
Paperback writer….”
 

  However, quite a bit deeper is another dream: of traveling the globe. This is a dream of understanding and peace: to immerse myself in foreign culture, to live, to understand. By speaking the language and adapting to the culture of nations everywhere, I might learn a few sociological lessons of life and meet a few outstanding individuals. Individuals, who, just like myself, seek a global understanding and unity. Provincial Americans may ask me, “why, why should we care?” We care because there are people across the globe without even a chance, or a glimmer of hope for life. There are hordes of malnourished children lacking the chance for life, education, vocation and the greatest gift: themselves, and everything they have to offer to humanity. A vast majority of Americans are not doing everything they can. We live in a market economy with relative freedom, respect for private property and respect for the individual. Every one of us has a chance. It’s only logical to spread our chances, to give others a part of our wealth. Because of the productivity of free market capitalism, we can certainly afford to. So many nations contain individuals uncaring of the world outside their own. I want to make a difference.
 

In ten years, I hope to be a part of an international philanthropic organization such as the Red Cross, the World Food Council or UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization) as an interpreter/diplomat. I realize this will require more education in the subjects of Economics, world trade and agriculture.
In regards to family, I expect to marry a passionate redhead (I can’t go into any more detail).  I look forward to father-daughter dances and Scouting adventures with a wild son. I intend to live happily ever after, well, most of the time.
As a salutation, I’d like to share a few words of Ovid, the great Roman poet.
“… It is the mind that makes the man, and our vigor is in our immortal soul…”