High school is a crazy time that can lead students down a number of different paths, which allow people to find themselves and see what they want to accomplish in their future. Often, people end up going to college right after graduating, but it isn’t the preferred route for everyone. The alternate options are varied and many, some of which are going into the military, taking a gap year, or working.

Zoe Bertone ‘17 is taking a gap year to volunteer in Africa, specifically Uganda, Kenya, and Tanzania, for three months with a gap year program. Bertone and her fellow volunteers will be teaching English, working in a health clinic, learning to assist in the activities of a rhino sanctuary, and of course, river rafting on the Nile. Furthermore, Bertone explains, “I am doing this because I may never have the opportunity to travel later in life. I want more experiences before I go to college at Elon University the following year.”  

While some students are still deciding their paths, others already know what they want to do from their junior year of high school. Cole Boggis ‘18 has already made the decision to enter the workforce as a firefighter after graduation. Boggis said, “I’ve always wanted to be a firefighter, it’s in my blood.” He adds that his father and uncle are also firefighters and his great grandfather was the Fire Chief in Brookline. “I have an enormous passion for it and I love doing it because you get to help people. It’s very rewarding when people call you to fix their problem, possibly on the worst day of their life. You show up, do your job, and when you leave there isn’t a problem anymore.”  

As far as the military goes, not everyone has made their decision yet, so no statistics are currently available. However, if this article from Mario Barassi ‘17 is any indication, there should be more students enlisting this year than last. In 2016, only one student signed up for ROTC; however according to that article, four, including Barassi himself, are signing up this year alone.

There’s no wrong decision for one’s future. Gap years encourage students to see the world and enter the workplace prior to entering college. Exploring universities farther away provides opportunities not always found at home, as well as a new cultural experience. No matter where a graduate decides to go after high school, the opportunities are limitless for a successful future.