How would you make the most of a gap year? by Christina

How would you make the most of a gap year? by Christina - August 2019 Scholarship Essay

Not taking a gap year between high school and college is one of the biggest regrets I have ever had. Taking a gap year would have better prepared me financially for the cost of not only living on my own but also paying for college.

I also feel that I would have been able to have more experiences that would have broaden my horizons. I grew up in the Midwest, in a small Iowa town, while it was a larger city in that state, I missed out on many cultural experiences available in other parts of the country and even other parts of the world.

I would have loved to have the chance to go off the beaten path and really learned more about other people but also about other people. I think this chance to a lot of self-reflection would have helped me discover what my true passion was sooner. I would not only have loved to travel, but trying new food, meeting new people, trying new activities and generally stepping outside my comfort zone would have helped my shape my world view.

I also think this would have been a really good chance to volunteer my time with various organizations that would have beefed up my resume and maybe provided me some scholarships and grants to help me better afford my college education.