Author Archives: laurenhaighh

When I was planning my gap year, I thought I had it mapped out perfectly and knew exactly how it would relate to my career path. After talking with Mr. Oliver, doing more research, and being honest with myself, I completely changed the direction of my gap year and I am so grateful I did.Continue reading “Tips to Plan a Gap Year”

In elementary school, my favorite subject was art. I would stay in the art room during recess and do extra projects. I was never exceptional at drawing or painting, but I still loved creating. In second grade, I did my career fair project on an elementary art teacher and I danced for 13 years, soContinue reading “Art and Creativity in My Gap Year”

Working in retail, volunteering at a school, and going to a large commercial gym, I interact with a lot of people on a daily basis. But, I’ve consistently felt supported and heard by the elementary program coordinator at the after school program, Ms. Mary Cortez. After I was approved for the volunteer position, Ms. CortezContinue reading “A Light in My Gap Year”

Thus far, my gap year has led me out of my comfort zone in many aspects. From pursuing what I thought other people wanted for me, to learning more about my passion and turning it into a career. I’ve been brave in my gap year by making the choice to venture into an area IContinue reading “Reflecting on My Experiences”

In starting my gap year, I had clearly defined goals that I believed would keep me motivated throughout the year. While some of these have remained in tact, I’ve reevaluated the purpose of this gap year to more closely align to my passions. I’ve continued to pursue learning Spanish, but not in the way IContinue reading “Reevaluating My Goals”

The alarm clock rings at 7:30am and it’s time to go to the gym. I’ll usually end up at the gym around 10 after hitting snooze on my alarm clock too many times. I wave to the personal trainers I’ve seen every day over the past few months and start my workout. After walking (orContinue reading “A Day in My Life”

When I graduated high school, I was six months younger, my hair was five inches shorter, it was about 30 degrees warmer outside, and Taylor Swift hadn’t rerecorded “Red” yet. Thinking about these big picture items, it feels like the world has moved on without me. My friends from high school are almost done withContinue reading “Who was I in High School?”

Though most of my gap year has been around people I’ve known for a long time, considering I live in my hometown, I am taking note of certain interactions with people around me that encourage me to take a step back and reflect on my life. For example, I was cashiering at my job aContinue reading “Gap Year Interaction”

My gap year has shown me new parts of myself in many ways. Before I started, I thought I’d be happiest going to law school and working in an office for my career. Even in these few short months, I’ve realized I don’t truly know myself. After lots of consideration, I have changed the directionContinue reading “Surprising Aspects of My Gap Year”

My life recently has been so different from any other season I’ve gone through. During this time in previous years, I would already be overwhelmed with school work and my body would be exhausted from hours of dance. As of right now, life is lot slower, which is a nice change of pace. This allowsContinue reading “My New Life”