At 17, Ashley Gallinari hasn’t traveled much. She’s never left the country, and she’s never been on a plane.

Gallinari wants to change that this summer with a 19-day trip to Greece and Italy, but first she has to raise the $7,000 required for the People to People Student Ambassador Program.

Her mother, Dawne Wilcox, who home-schools Gallinari and her sister, said she thinks her daughter will be a traveler.

“I want her to expand her horizons,” Wilcox said. “There’s more to life than this.”

Gallinari has held bake sales and sent letters to local businesses seeking contributions. She plans to sell chocolate roses for Valentine’s Day and organize other fundraising events.

Contributions can be sent to Ashley Gallinari, 75 Sandy Creek Road, Bridgton, Maine 04009. For more information, call her at 647-2305.

Q: What are you looking forward to most about the experience?

A: I’m really into all the scenery. I’ve never been on a plane either. But, I’m really interested in learning about the culture and how they live every day. We do a homestay so I’m interested in learning about how their daily lives are, how they’re different than ours.

My great-grandmother who just passed away, she was born in Sicily. She married my great-grandfather, who was also from Italy…My dad tells me a little about my great-grandparents. I wasn’t that close to my great grandparents, but I’ve heard stories from my father telling me about my family. I’d like to know, but never got a chance to really sit down and talk to them about it…

They’re trying to get you out of your comfort zone, they said. You can be more of yourself when you’re out of your comfort zone. With school you just have to sit and study, and you’re not really yourself, people don’t get to know you. When you’re out of your comfort zone, people get to see who you really are. Like, I never would have known she’s scared of planes until you get on it and she’s freaking out. People get to see the real you when you’re out of your comfort zone, and how you handle things. You become more of yourself.

Q: Have you traveled much before?

A: I’ve been to Canada and I did go to South Carolina, but nothing major out of the country. I’m very interested in traveling, so this is going to open up a lot of opportunities for me. It’s for a long time, well 19 days, my trip. It’s going to be fun. I’m very excited…

I just want to explore. I think I’m going to do a lot of traveling after this program, I think it’s going to open my eyes. There’s another world outside of Bridgton, bigger and better opportunities.

Q: Why do you think it is important for young people to have the opportunity to travel?

A: A lot of them don’t know that there’s more out in the world besides their hometown…There’s a whole world out there that you can explore. Money is obviously a big problem, but I think they just need to take chances more and go and explore life. You might as well explore and have fun and live life to the fullest all the time.

Q: What response have you gotten from fundraising efforts?

A: A lot of businesses thought it was a great trip, but they don’t have the money to donate. I think that’s my biggest problem right now, the money, because the trip’s expensive. It’s not like I can just go to the bank and take out a bunch of money.

The whole trip is about $7,000. I’m almost down to $6,000 now. I’ve taken a lot of the money out of my own personal savings account.

Q: How long have you been home-schooled?

A: I asked to be home-schooled at the end of eighth grade. I’m a junior now.

Q: Why did you ask to be home-schooled?

A: It wasn’t really about learning anymore. It was more about boys and going out. I’m very focused on school, I wanted to get it done so I can go on to college and start my traveling career.

Q: Do you develop your own schedule and what you’re going to study?

A: Yes. In school they make you study stuff you’re not interested in. Being home-schooled I get to choose my own interests. I have gotten to study a lot more. It’s really neat how you can learn what you want to learn.

Q: What’s next after you finish high school?

A: I’m really interested in going to college. I don’t know what college yet. I’m very driven, career-wise. I would like to work with kids because I love kids. I was interested for a while in social work, but I’m really interested in letting kids have their own voice and helping kids who have been abused and being an advocate for them.

Ashley Gallinari