Category Archives: Gap Year Fellows

            Good morning, it’s 7:30 and it’s time to get ready for work. After getting ready and leaving my apartment my commute consists of walking to the Hart Senate Office Building and taking the underground tunnels and subways to my office located in the Longworth House Office Building. Now…it’s time to work:             Unlike most jobs, thereContinue reading “A Day in the Life of a Congressional Intern”

Growing up I didn’t come from a religious family. My father was raised Catholic and so was his father; that’s how I was raised. Though I went to Sunday school and celebrated most of the major holidays I still knew I was Jewish and grew up with some elements of Jewish culture in my life.Continue reading “Some Goals of mine”

My schedule varies depending on the day of the week but from Sunday through Thursday it consists of my normal learning and class schedule. Though I’m sure it varies slightly depending on the Yeshiva I’d imagine most follow a similar format. In the morning I wake up around 7:00 and get ready. Shacharit (morning prayers)Continue reading “A Day in Yeshiva”

My name is Daniel Mancuso and I’m from Orlando, Florida. I always found coming up with definitions challenging, trying to get to the essence of something seems to be reductive in many instances. In trying to define myself I seem to come across a similar struggle. I normally point to the various characteristics that makeContinue reading “Who am I?”

As I’ve mentioned in a previous blog, my Gap Year program is through a youth movement called Young Judaea, and I have attended/worked at one of their summer camps for the past 10 years. Because I have been in the YJ community for such a long time, I know many people that have been onContinue reading “Connecting From Around The World”

Never before I have encountered a people more genuine, real, and kind than when I met Lightness and her family. From the way she instantly greeted and took in my mom and I like we were family to how she is always checking on me and goes out of her way to make sure IContinue reading “A Personal Interaction in Arusha”

I think something that surprised me about my gap year experience is how hard it has been to detach from the on goings of America to fully embrace Tanzania. So often have I had my eyes locked on American media, news, and television (just purely out of habit) that at times I can forget thatContinue reading “What Surprised Me About My Gap Year Experience”

It is already four days into my arrival, and Tanzania is gorgeous. Africa is not what I expected but so much more! Everything here is just allowed to grow and nurture. The people take care of one another, and they take pride in conserving their traditions and culture. The women are never perceived as masculineContinue reading “Life in Tanzania 💕”

So when I tell you I have been mentally planning a study abroad for the longest time; I have been picturing and researching these trips since my junior year of high school. With time as I built my passion for film and black history and culture, I dreamed of getting the opportunity to go andContinue reading “My goals for my Gap Year!”

Hi my name is Chisara (my nickname is Chichi), and I am going to be a student at Florida State University’s undergraduate film school! As such, my favorite material to document and film is African and African diasporic culture and history. So, this year I am very excited to travel to Arusha, Tanzania and theContinue reading “Introducing Chichi !”