Lisa Worley

2012-13 Outbound to Japan

Hometown: Brandon, FL

School: Bloomingdale High School

Sponsor: District 6890, FL

Host: District TBA, Japan

Lisa's Bio

Nice to meet you! はじめまして！ My name is Lisa, and I can’t wait to be an outbound student to Japan for the 2012-2013 exchange year! I’m sixteen and am a Junior at Bloomingdale Senior High School. In preparation for my year abroad, however, I am trying to finish up all of my credits so that I may graduate with the class of 2012.

First things first: this exchange isn’t just about me. It is about my family, my friends, my country, and the country of Japan. I am the messenger, and my message is that of understanding: I want to get rid of any prejudices or stereotypes that I, my family, my friends, and those I don’t know yet carry, because it is my firm belief that misinformation is the root of most conflict.

One of my greatest loves is art. I love all of its forms, but two-dimensional art, specifically painting, holds a special place in my heart. To be able to create a world in days, to tell a story in a frame, or to reveal more emotion or truth than many people show in their entire life is something that I look for constantly in my own (and others’) compositions. Someday, I hope to go into the art field. In my student letter, I wrote that I hoped to double-major in studio art and art history and work as a curator someday, but that has changed even though the time that passed between then and now was short-lived. I’m not entirely sure anymore what I would like to do with my life, but I am confident that it will always be within the Arts. I’m not a huge fan of writing about myself, so the fact that I have said this much already shocks me. I like to think that I am outgoing and determined, and have been told that I’m easy to talk to. I remain open-minded to the world, and cannot imagine any reason to judge someone for anything other than the way they treat others. Things like gender, ethnicity, sexuality, and religion mean little to me when considering someone a friend, so it has been said that my collection of friends is on the eccentric side.

If someone were to ask for one weird fact about me, I would tell them that one of my life dreams is to live in a hobbit hole. Strange, I know, but true. :) The year ahead will be one of many adventures, I’m sure! To think that, this time next year, I will be on the other side of the world, speaking another language, eating different foods, making new friends, and becoming a part of new families… well, the feeling is unparalleled.

““Remember what Bilbo used to say: It’s a dangerous business, Frodo, going out your door. You step onto the road, and if you don’t keep your feet, there’s no knowing where you might be swept off to.”” J.R.R. Tolkien

Lisa- Outbound to Japan