From Italy to Ensworth

We are so excited to introduce you to a new monthly feature that will be taking place on Enside Ensworth…E-Taly with Jan DeLozier! These monthly post will follow Ensworth Senior Jan DeLozier in her year abroad studying in Italy. The post will come around the last Friday of each month, so be on the look out! Without further hesitation, here is her first post!

Ciao! My name is Jan DeLozier and I am a senior this year, the last of three Ensworth alums (Meg graduated 8^th grade in 2002 and Sarah B. graduated EHS 2011). Instead of continuing my education at Ensworth, I have decided to spend my senior year abroad, in a little town called Viterbo in the beautiful country of Italy, through a program called School Year Abroad (SYA). I’ve been a student at Ensworth since the pre-first, so leaving Ensworth was a difficult choice to make. However, when it came down to making the choice to go and fulfilling such a wonderful opportunity I knew that I was not leaving the Ensworth community for good. I will still be graduating from Ensworth, receiving my diploma, and walking at the graduation commencements in June 2012. Knowing I would graduate with my peers who I had gotten to know and love over the years was comforting and more so, my courage and wisdom I need to complete this journey is credible to Ensworth.

What I have learned inside and outside of the classroom have prepared me for what I am about to embark on. The foundation I have built in the Ensworth community and the support I have received not only from my parents, but also from Ensworth teachers, students, and families allow me to leave home for a year. I have always believed that you can be taught something over and over again, but it is not until you go out into the world and apply what you have learned until you can fully understand something. Well, this is my opportunity to verify my education and really find out what it means to be globally aware.

I will be living with a host family, of whom I know not much about, and will attend School Year Abroad with 60 other American students, both juniors and seniors, from all over the country, of whom I also do not know anything about. We all will be scattered through the town of Viterbo, some living in the “city” area, while others of us will live in the countryside. The idea of an independent journey and the opportunity to continue my education, especially in Latin, attracted me to this program and while it will be difficult to leave, the experience and opportunity that lies ahead is too enriching to resist.

I hope I am not the last to embark on such a journey from Ensworth because I know there are students who would love an opportunity like this, but just are not sure where to begin. The SYA program has locations in Italy, Spain, France, China, and Vietnam, all of which offer different and fulfilling opportunities. I will continue to post throughout the year and if you have any personal questions or just comments feel free to e-mail me at delozierj12@ensworth.com. Also, you can check out the SYA website to learn more about the program at www.sya.org.

Arrivederci!

Jan