The Foreign Service Journal, June 2015

THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL | JUNE 2015 97 E very year, senior high school students world- wide prepare for graduation and beyond. For some that might mean prepar- ing for college or finding a job. For others it means taking a close look at nontraditional options. One option that is gain- ing popularity (to the tune of a 20-percent increase since 2006, according to Forbes.com) is tak- ing a gap year. Often taken between graduating from high school and starting college, gap years are largely used to help students define a plan for personal success. While gap years have long been a common practice for stu- dents in Europe and Australia, available information indicates that the notion of Marybeth Hunter is an education and youth specialist in the State Department’s Family Liaison Office. in deferring their attendance to college and completing intern- ships, traveling or volunteering abroad. The results are impres- sive. In fact, a recent article in U.S. News & World Report credits gap-year students (affectionately known as “gappers”) with better performance and a better sense of purpose in their studies than their non-gapper peers. Worldwide prevalence and encouraging facts aside, families in the foreign affairs com- munity might still be wonder- ing—how might taking a gap year help a Foreign Service student succeed? To help answer that question, the Family Liaison Office’s education and youth team interviewed Foreign Service gap-year student Brooke Coskuner, daughter of State Department FSO Melissa Coskuner, asking her some thought-provoking questions regard- ing her recent gap-year experience in Kenya. seeking an enriching experience by tak- ing a semester or year-long break from academics has gained popularity in the United States during the last 10 years. Several universities have developed service-based programs for accepted, incoming first-year students interested Gap years are becoming more popular in the United States as a transition to college. Here’s one Foreign Service student’s experience. BY MARYBETH HUNTER Gap Happy: One FS Student’s Experience On a typical day at one campsite, gap-year students help with construction work in a village. COURTESYOFBROOKECOSKUNER

RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy ODIyMDU=