After high school graduation, students are presented with a multitude of options for their future. While most graduated high schoolers move into their dorms at a four-year college, some make an unorthodox choice: taking a gap year. Here, students take a year before starting college for a chance of self-discovery and real-world experience, while also being able to save for college.
A gap year is taken when someone spends a year off away from school, usually between high school and college, to pursue other interests.
The reasons for gap years can vary greatly; some students use the time to save for college by getting a job. Others take a break from studying to travel abroad. Since there is no set curriculum during a gap year, a student has the freedom to pursue whatever interests them.
While gap years are becoming an increasingly popular option for students, they still remain uncommon. According to Gap Year Solutions, only about 2% to 3% of high schoolers in the United States choose to take this path, but for the few who do, the experience can be transformative, offering an opportunity for personal growth.
Izzy Bienaimé: Backpacking in Patagonia
For Izzy Bienaimé, a gap year wasn’t part of the original plan, but it quickly became the right one.
“They [her parents] also just wanted me to be less burned out before I start college,” Bienaimé said. “I started to look at programs, and once I saw all the opportunities I could have, it really influenced my decision.”
This fall, Bienaimé will spend three months backpacking through Patagonia in Chile with the National Outdoor Leadership School, which she has done similar trips with before. During her past experiences, Bienaimé said she enjoyed the isolation — especially from the media — and is now looking forward to getting that peace and quiet again.
“It was really great to not be on my phone for a month because I really had nothing to worry about,” Bienaimé said. “No one to text and I got to escape social media, so it was really unplugging and an overall beautiful experience that I definitely wanted to do again and for longer.”
However, her decision wasn’t without hesitation.
“When I was touring colleges and I saw the experience, or just talking to my friends who are all looking for roommates right now, part of me just wants to start college and have that experience,” Bienaimé said.
Ultimately, Bienaimé is going to use this trip to unwind and reflect on the past four years, and she is grateful to her parents for inspiring it.
“My parents were saying that having the opportunity to take a gap year and travel is not one that comes by very easily,” Bienaimé said. “I chose to backpack in Chile because I wanted to reset after high school, and I haven’t felt more refreshed than after my month-long backpacking course.”
Additionally, in the spring, Bienaimé hopes to gain some professional experience before heading to Northeastern University in the fall.
“Hopefully I get an internship that aligns with my major, and learn some skills from that before I start college,” Bienaimé said. “My planned major is architecture, so I hope to get an internship either with an architecture firm or something similar, or even a design company.”
Ben Levav: Soccer development in Spain
For soccer standout Ben Levav, a gap year represents time for personal, academic and athletic improvement.
“I had coaches that wanted me to take a gap year to reclass [push back one’s graduation year],” Levav said. “That way, I could develop my game and help the discipline that I needed to play soccer in college at the Division I level.”
Levav will spend a year at a professional soccer academy in Spain, called the International Development Academy, while simultaneously competing in a development program aimed at college recruitment. The academy consists of about 100 soccer players ages 15 to 22, all focused on improving their soccer skills.
In addition to the intense training schedule, Levav is eager to use his downtime productively.
“I’m hoping to learn a lot about myself and really what I want to do,” Levav said. “I think I know the field I want to get into, but I want this to be an opportunity where I can actually explore that field deeper and do other internship and community service opportunities that’ll help me develop in that sense.”
Levav credits his parents for recommending this decision.
“My parents actually think that everyone should take a gap year because no high schooler, 17- to 18-year-old, is ready for college two months later,” Levav said. “Their opinion is that you should have that year of development to learn about yourself and learn about the world.”
Levav will also be using this time to prepare himself for life in college.
“I think that I’m not necessarily ready for college in the fall,” Levav said. “I need some sort of break to help me build habits that I need to be successful.”
Milan Towfiq: A Year of Service in Haifa
Milan Towfiq’s decision to take a gap year is deeply rooted in his faith. As a follower of the Baha’i Faith, Towfiq has the opportunity to take on various duties, such as gardening, security or janitorial work, in one of the most sacred sites of his religion in Israel.
“It’s called a year of service,” Towfiq said. “It’s an option to take a year off, give the year of service to the house of worship, House of Justice, which is in Haifa, Israel, and it’s a big program for Baha’i youth.”
Towfiq was inspired to pursue this path by a close friend who had previously participated in this program during a gap year he took between his second and third years of college.
“He [Towfiq’s friend] is someone I look up to,” Towfiq said. “He said it [the program] was a life-changing experience for him and it’s taught him a lot, so, I talked more to him about it and I was like, ‘yeah, this is something I want to do.’”
In addition, Towfiq’s friend learned more about the value of hard work and managing long hours of labor.
Similar to his friend, Towfiq hopes to develop skills that will benefit him both personally and professionally.
“I expect to learn many of the same things, and there is an aspect of being in the Holy Land of my religion that I look forward to as well,” Towfiq said. “I hope to improve at forming new interpersonal relationships with those around me, have the chance to serve at the spiritual and administrative center of my faith and get better at long hours of work and labor.”
Towfiq also emphasized the personal growth he hopes to achieve through this experience, particularly in how he interacts with others.
“I hope to develop some skills that I’ll use later on, mainly working with a team,” Towfiq said. “Focus is also a big one, … learning to have respectful, meaningful conversations with those around me. Compassion, those are all things that you need to learn.”
Towfiq’s parents have fully supported him through his decision, encouraging him to attend the program without pressure. His gap year plan relies on both receiving an acceptance from the program and a deferral from Emory University, with his ultimate goal being to attend college after completing the program.
