A “Student Gap Year” Is as Unique as Your Child

A “Student Gap Year” Is as Unique as Your Child

Many high school seniors look enthusiastically ahead to the university or junior college campus. These students are eager to move on to higher education, have a goal in mind regarding a specific degree and want to take control of their learning experience. Other students may have a more adventurous nature and find themselves longing to go on a modern “grand tour,” undertake a religious mission or volunteer internationally before returning to a classroom. A student gap year is a great option. 

For those students who are yearning to travel, these motivating factors and the endless other inspirations young people are filled with can lead to a deeply thought-provoking experience. Young adults who have spent time living internationally have found their perspectives broadened and their lives affected by a profound appreciation for the human condition. They often return home ready to take on the world, effect change and apply life lessons earned and learned.

There are as many creative ways for your student to approach an overseas “gap year” as there are students. Helping guide them towards the best decision will require research and thoughtful consideration. Your child’s high school guidance counselor is a good person to help you gather information. If you attend church, resources may be available through a youth group. There are also numerous online resources.

North State Parent talked to two young women who opted to travel after high school graduation and before heading straight into higher education.

Lily Jorrick dove into learning Spanish by spending eight months in Ecuador.

Lily Jorrick spent eight months of her gap year in Ecuador. “I had homeschooled my entire life, so the decision to take an alternate path to college wasn’t a difficult one for me to make,” she says. “I had always dreamed of living or studying abroad, of learning a second language and of getting to know a foreign culture in a way that seemed more genuine than just vacationing there.”

Rose Watkins has just returned from a working vacation in Greece. “The first time I traveled to Europe was when I was 16, right after I graduated high school. It was a six-week long trip with my grandparents. We toured all the famous sights and museums and landmarks. It was AMAZING,” she says. “Fast forward two years, I’m now 18, and just got home from a month-long adventure in Athens, Greece. We were there filming a documentary about both the economic crises and refugee crises taking place in Greece. We spent three weeks interviewing and befriending refugees from all over the world.”

Right after graduating high school, Rose Watkins toured Greece with her grandparents.

Rose says her travels have opened doors to new vistas. “It was life-changing. I learned so much about the strength and gracefulness of people. And I learned how to tell people’s stories. That’s where my blog came in. I’m just a couple of months away from graduating from Shasta College with my AA in English Studies, and this trip jumpstarted my ideal career of traveling the world and blogging/writing about everything I see and learn so that the rest of the world can experience the world too.”

Lily wonderfully sums up her travels, volunteerism and acquisition of a new language. “After an incredibly transformational bridge year, I will be studying biology at my local community college, and later hope to transfer to UC San Diego to continue in the field of marine science. While I’ve always been interested in this field, I feel that my bridge year allowed me the time and space to gain a greater appreciation for all the opportunities that I have to pursue my dreams. I think my time in Ecuador specifically inspired me to ask, listen and care more about the issues facing my generation—from indigenous people’s rights to climate change—and to realize that these issues are global. I know that I will take with me to college all of the many lessons that I learned in Ecuador, but this one stands out from the rest: that making the choice to learn about what you care about will always be the right choice.”

Your son or daughter may be ready to find education in travel. Encourage your inquisitive student to broaden her horizons and discover the world.