Ridgewood High School senior Anna Mola didn't have a definite person in mind as she started her sketch showing a young woman with hair cascading in the colors of Italy."It wasn't anyone in particular," she explained. "I just wanted her to be in deep contemplation of what Italy has to offer."

Likewise, fellow student Taylor Beninati was still fresh off the emotions from her trip to the country last summer in a video she created celebrating the country's culture. Before her trip, Beninati, who works as a hostess in a restaurant, saved up, dropping her earnings directly into a jar to finance the trip.