The Foreign Service Journal, June 2015

98 JUNE 2015 | THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL EDUCATION SUPPLEMENT Family Liason Office: Students opt for gap years for a variety of rea- sons. What prompted your decision? Brooke Coskuner: I wasn’t sure what I wanted to study after high school, so I wanted to travel and take some time to discover myself and my interests. Also, I wanted to do some- thing to help others in the world and something that was rewarding. FLO: In your opinion, what should potential gap-year candidates do to prepare themselves for this type of adventure? BC: They should definitely have a good idea about what they want to do during their gap year and stay motivated to do just that. Without a plan, some people end up not doing any- thing during their gap year because of a loss of motivation and no real objectives. FLO: With the idea of taking a gap year gaining in popularity, there are a number of organizations offering programs. How did you go about choosing yours? BC: I searched for programs via the Internet, which was overwhelming because there were so many programs offered in so many locations. Eventu- ally, I decided to start with my desired location and the duration of the program, and then researched programs based on those criteria. There were many types of programs and activities offered, so I read up on what kinds of things I would be doing in detail. I ended up choosing Camps International because it had great reviews, their activities interested me and it sounded like fun. FLO: The price of the program would certainly be a deciding factor for many families. What was the overall cost for your gap year? BC: It always depends on where you choose to go and what is included in the cost. I chose to go to Kenya for two months and, with flights included, it cost about $4,000. It was a bit pricey com- pared to some of the other programs, but there were four different campsites with different activities, and food and in- country transportation were included. FLO: Many readers might wonder what a day in the life of a gap-year student could entail. Can you describe a typical day? BC: A typical day during the week at one campsite would start at 9 a.m. when we would eat a delicious Kenyan break- fast of porridge or eggs and bacon. After helping to do the dishes, we would walk to a nearby village where we would begin our work project. Our objective was to finish buildings that would house medical dispensaries and a boys’ school. We would mix cement and plaster the walls of the buildings. While we were working, the local children from the village would come and hang out with us. Those kids were so joyful and made us laugh. We would have lunch around 1 p.m. and go back to work for three more hours. After that, we would go back to our camp and get cleaned up. We would spend the rest of the day playing pool or just hanging out with the other camp participants and the staff. On the weekend, we would go to the beach and relax. It was really a wonderful and liberating experience. At another campsite, we monitored wildlife in Tsavo West, a game park near the coast in Kenya. We followed a family of elephants in this area and also helped with construction of a school in a village there. In my group, there were many Austra- lians and British kids, and it was great to get to know them. I learned about their culture, as well as the Kenyan coastal culture. I am still in touch with many of them, and two of them came to visit me in Berlin, where I lived with my family after going to Kenya. A recent article in U.S. News & World Report credits gap-year students with better performance and a better sense of purpose in their studies than their “non-gapper” peers. Gap-year students help finish buildings to house medical dispensaries and a boys’ school in Kenya. COURTESYOFBROOKECOSKUNER