From Gap Year to Senior Year: Where Our Alumni Are Now
From Gap Year to Senior Year: Where Our Alumni Are Now
Some students think of a gap year as a pause between high school and university before “real life” begins. Other students, like Keara, can attest that it is much more than that.
Keara joined Spanish Gap Year in Spring 2023, and three years later, Spain is still part of her story. She has gone from cooking classes and canyoning in Spain to a university campus in Chicago, and then back to Barcelona for a semester abroad, where she found familiar faces waiting for her.
In this alumni spotlight, Keara shares what she carried with her to college, where she is now, and why she’d happily do it all over again
Meet Keara, Spain by Train Spring 2023 Alum
During 12 weeks, she traveled the entire country, taking part in cultural immersion classes that included cooking, dancing, and language acquisition. Depending on where the group was, that meant picking up Euskara, Català, and Castellano.
Outside the classroom, Keara was also able to get involved in various outdoor activities during her time in Spain.
“I enjoyed the outdoor activities in Asturias, Solorio, and Oviedo, including canyoning, rock climbing, and biking on a portion of the Camino de Santiago.”
What she carried to college
Keara describes her transition to college after her gap year as pretty smooth. When she first got back home, she was “just ready to hit the ground running,” and felt she had learned a lot from the travel experiences of her gap year.
Where she is now
Today, Keara is a senior at the University of Chicago, where she studies International Relations. In the spring, three years after her program, Keara had the opportunity to study abroad in Barcelona.
Being back in Spain also brought some reunions. Keara reconnected with some of the gap year students who were in Barcelona at the same time, as well as with her host sister, who now lives in Galicia.
“I would say that just being back in Barcelona, in the country, and seeing familiar faces was a really full circle moment.”
What Keara’s story teaches us
Keara’s story runs from a train journey across Spain, to a campus in Chicago, to a semester in Barcelona. This truly shows how a gap year can be the start of an incredible relationship with a country and its language, not just a break before college. The friends and host family she made along the journey are still part of her story.
“My experiences with Spanish Gap Year were invaluable, and if I could I’d go back and do it all over again. I already missed the country and I’m excited for the next time I’m able to revisit.”
Ready to write your own story?
Wondering if a gap year is worth it? Just look at alumni like Keara, who studies at a top university, returned to Spain years later, and is already planning her next visit. Her gap year didn’t end when she flew home. In many ways, it’s still going.
Ready to start your adventure? Book a call with us, and let’s see where it takes you.
¡Vamos! Your story is waiting.
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