Durham Academy Magazine 

Minding the Gap

A Year of Expanding Horizons

Story by and photography courtesy of Rachel Pellom ’24

If you had asked me two years ago if I thought I would take a gap year before college, I would’ve said that sounds like the dumbest idea ever. Why would I take a year off of school? What would I do? Wouldn’t I just forget everything I had worked so hard to learn? But here I am two years later, about to start my first year at Middlebury College — and it is the best decision I’ve ever made.

The end of my junior year at the Upper School was rough. I felt exhausted. The schedule I had planned for my senior year had me taking nearly all Advanced (ADV) or AP courses and seven classes during my second semester. It was at the end of my junior year when my mom once again floated the idea of taking a gap year. She had already brought it up at the beginning of the year when I had mentioned feeling nervous about not knowing what I wanted to do in college or where I wanted to even go. At the time I brushed it off, worrying that I would be behind everyone else and forget everything that I’d already learned. But when she brought it back up at the end of junior year, it started to feel really appealing. By the beginning of senior year, when the pressure was mounting on applying to schools, it officially became my plan and I began to look forward to the year. I also noticed, however, that I seemed to be the only student wanting to take a gap year. I struggled to find DA alumni who had taken one, and by the time graduation rolled around, I was the only student in the whole class with that plan. 

At first, I wasn’t really sure what I wanted to do for my gap year. Nonetheless, I began to brainstorm. There was a lodge where I’d stayed in Scotland that took volunteers for work stays, so I reached out to them to begin my planning. I thought about what my goals were for the year: I wanted to do different things, I wanted to travel, I wanted to explore different fields and I wanted to recharge. With these goals in mind, I began forming the rest of my year. 

Since I have family in Germany (and I’m in the process of claiming German citizenship), I decided it was a fitting place to begin the fall; I took German lessons for five weeks while staying with my family. I then traveled to a small city with a large refugee population where I volunteered for four weeks teaching English to refugees in the city. I returned home for the holidays, and in January I ran my first marathon. I wanted to test out the medical field, so in February I spent a month in Wilmington earning my EMT certification. After that, I began working around the neighborhood to save up money for the summer. Having some structure was definitely helpful, but I also really enjoyed getting to make plans as I went.

Taking a gap year was hands-down the best decision I could have made. After working hard for the past four years of high school, it was a much-needed break to reset myself and my brain for school. I definitely think it also prepared me for college. Things like living alone in another country, managing a budget, meeting new people and making new friends are all skills that I think will really help me succeed in college. My gap year also gave me time to get more excited about Middlebury, something that I previously was a little nervous about. The idea of living so far away in rural Vermont became more and more appealing as I had new experiences and met new people. I realized how much I love getting out in the world. 

I think a gap year is something that everyone should take at some point in their life — whether it’s between high school and college, undergrad and grad school, or college and the working world. The thing people need to remember is that you’re not falling behind, and you’re not gonna forget anything important. As long as you’re doing things that make you happy, giving your brain and body the rest they need, and getting yourself out into the world, a gap year can be the best decision you ever make. 

 

 

5 Things I Learned This Year

1. Always bring a backup map.

When I left to begin my work-stay at the UK’s most remote lodge, I never expected to end up stranded on the side of a mountain in the Scottish wilderness with nobody around for miles. I will never forget the feeling of dread when I reached into my pocket for my phone only to feel it missing. I learned the first lesson of my gap year as I stumbled down the side of the mountain to meet Scotland Wilderness Rescue after 10 hours, 11 miles and 6,000 feet of climbing.

2. English is hard.

For four weeks, I was in a town in Germany called Halle: teaching English. It didn’t seem that hard at first. English is my first language and I was in the Teaching Literacy program at DA. But when I sat down for the first time with my student, a young Ukrainian woman, I was terrified. After a week, I realized that my role was not merely teaching a language: My role was helping my student connect with people and the world.

3. “Schienenersatzverkehr.”

As someone who used to leave home as late as possible to make it to class, I wasn’t prepared for the whirlwind that was European public transport. I quickly got used to leaving two hours before my German class was supposed to begin, making the walk to the U-Bahn, changing trains and — if I was lucky — getting to class with 15 minutes to spare. It was then I learned one of the most important German words: Schienenersatzverkehr, or “rail replacement services.”

4. What it’s like working in the American healthcare system.

I learned a lot during my four days of clinicals as part of my EMT training. My time working 911 taught me about the importance of slowing down even in the most intense scenarios. My time doing patient transport helped me better understand the hardships that people face relying on others in their day-to-day life, and it helped me gain a greater understanding of my privilege as a young, fit and healthy person with regular access to good healthcare. Finally, my time in the ER was an interesting window into the functions of our healthcare system and how important it is to have reliable people on your team when things get overwhelming. 

5. Sticky toffee pudding is perhaps the most delicious thing I will ever eat.