AMHS Scholarship Awards

AMHS Scholarship Application Essay
by Dana L. Dabbenigno

As a kid, my last name was impossible to spell and even harder to pronounce. I learned quickly to cut my teachers off before they could butcher my name. They would tell me that my name was definitely Italian as I stared back wide-eyed, having no idea what they were talking about. Now that I am a little older and hopefully a little wiser, my Italian heritage has come to mean a great deal to me. I have always dreamt of going to Italy and after my first year of college, I decided that it was time for me to study abroad. I had grown up in an Italian-American household, but I wanted to experience the authentic Italy. The fall semester of my second year I found myself in Florence. I loved being immersed in the Italian culture. I learned the language, and the customs of the Italians. I was able to study Italian artwork, history, literature, and language in the place of origin. I was able to visit relatives who still live in Italy and experience day to day living. The whole experience blew me away and I fell immediately in love with the Italian way of life.

When I left Italy, I knew that I was not leaving for good. I decided that I wanted to pursue a career that would lead me back to Italy. I dropped my pre-med major and declared Italian and Economics as my new majors. I either want to go into international law and work in an Italian corporation, or get my PhD in Italian and become a professor of Italian grammar and literature. Both careers sound equally enticing to me. Upon my return from Italy, I became active in some Italian societies. I became a Young Ambassador for OSIA and am now a member of the Abruzzo and Molise Heritage Society. I was a member of the Italian Society at JMU and am now an executive board member in the University of Virginia's Italian Society. I like being part of the campus societies because there are plenty of opportunities to expose others to the Italian culture.

As stated on the AMHS website, the AMHS was formed to promote the cultural heritage of Italy including literature, art, and history. I am currently doing my best, through my classes and through my involvement in different Italian societies to promote the Italian culture and language. I want to expose people to my heritage as it rich and unique.