My Dream Trips by Leigh

My Dream Trips by Leigh - August 2019 Scholarship Essay

Knowledge is a gift that a person must take an use in order for it to be useful. It's best not to have a GAP year while in college. Unfortunately, in the words of John Lennon, "Life is what happens to you while you're busy making other plans." (John Lennon, "Beautiful Boy," 1980)
If I had a GAP year, I would continue to keep my mind sharp and I travel to Europe. I teach world history, yet I have never been to the places that I teach about. Therefore, I would love to France, Germany, and Britain and be able to describe these places in detail when I return. To see the Palace of Versailles would be a dream come true for me. I can look at pictures on the Internet, yet to actually see it firsthand, would truly fulfill a lifelong dream of mine. I teach AP European History as well and I would love to take my students with me to experience history for themselves.
I also would read extensively about historical events to fill in any gaps in my knowledge. I love to read, and I would dearly love the chance to read any time I wished. I believe that a student is not only a student while in school; they are students in life as well. Anything that I can do to increase my knowledge of history would be utilized. I would also like to visit historical places in the United States as well. I would also like to do a Civil War tour of battlefields and Revolutionary War sites.
To me, it doesn’t matter what you do as long as it keeps learning alive in your life. Having a GAP in your university life, doesn’t mean that your brain should take a gap vacation. I teach my students all the time that summer is a vacation for the body, not the mind. My AP students have assignments to do over the summer, so that they are primed and ready to start the new year. I follow my own advice and am always learning over the summer by attending workshops and reading as much as I can. A GAP year can make or break a person; so use it effectively however you can.