This is Dana.
Photos Courtesy of Dana Wenger
Dana Wenger has been known to get on a bus without a destination in mind because life for her is not about the endpoint; it’s about the journey. That spirit served her well in the fall of 2011 when she had the opportunity to take the journey of a lifetime – a journey in which the end of the ride was sometimes an Italian village nestled on the side of a mountain, other times one of the world’s largest churches just off a bustling street in Rome. It was a journey that would align her career goals with her unbridled enthusiasm for life and her passion for a country she’d been drawn to since childhood. It was also a journey she was never quite sure she’d actually be able to make. “People like me don’t do things like go to another country and live there,” explained the Berry art major from Charleston, S.C., and reigning Miss Berry. “People like me don’t even get a car. It was a really big deal because it was an impossible dream that I was trying to make happen.” The impossible became possible when Wenger received the Bert (82C) and Cathy Clark Endowed Study Abroad Scholarship and spent a life-altering four months reveling in the beauty of Florence, Italy. Her passion for all things Italian started when she was introduced to opera as a child. “I liked singing, I liked drama, I liked bombastic music,” she exclaimed. “Opera fit the bill!” It wasn’t long before she was fascinated by more than the music of Italy. The language drew her, and so did the art. About the same time, she also became interested in children’s books and their illustrations, often visiting the local library on Friday nights and bringing home as many books as she could carry to read with her mother. “I remember those books,” Wenger said. “They were childhood friends. Even now, sometimes when I’m going 12
BERRY MAGAZINE • SPRING 2013
through a situation, I am reminded of a picture in a book.” Wenger set her sights on becoming a children’s book illustrator, and when a Berry professor told her about the opportunity to study illustration at Studio Arts Centers International in the country of her dreams, she wanted to jump on it. “SACI offered a class in illustration that required partici pants to create a children’s book and read it to Italian children,” Wenger recalled. “It was like, ‘This is meant to be!’ I couldn’t get it out of my head. Once you realize something is possible, you really get your heart set on it.” But Wenger had difficulty getting her aspiration off the ground. There was a significant cost to participate, money she didn’t have until she received the Clarks’ need-based scholarship. “I wouldn’t have been able to go without it,” Wenger emphasized. “The scholarship allowed my life to be changed forever. All my words can’t come close to the appreciation I have for the gift they’ve given me!”
The following is a reprint of Wenger’s reflection paper on her Italian journey and the destinations that enchanted her along the way. Introduction by Alyssa Hollingsworth, student editorial supervisor