My Service-Based Gap Year

Tate Mueller Start Date: Mar 19, 2019 - End Date: Mar 18, 2020
  • Leadership/Training Program
  • Missionary Service
  • Volunteer Trip
  • Nepal
  • Suva, Fiji
  • Accra, Ghana

My Travel Story

by: Tate Mueller Start Date: Mar 19, 2019 - End Date: Mar 18, 2020
  • Leadership/Training Program
  • Missionary Service
  • Volunteer Trip
Dear Friends and Family,


I am excited to announce that I will be attending the University of Pittsburgh School of Nursing in the fall of 2020. However, I am equally as excited to announce that I will be taking a gap year starting in the fall of 2019. Rather than conceptualizing my gap year as a year off from education, I plan to treat it as an opportunity to take on projects I would not be able to experience in a traditional classroom setting.

Recently I had an epiphany that the society we live in encourages its youth down a strict linear path; I realized that I was simply following the status quo. This so-called status quo consists of linear learning; elementary school as preparation for middle school, middle school as preparation for high school, high school as preparation for college, college as preparation for the ultimate piece of paper called a diploma which is considered necessary for a successful life. Although let me be clear: I am so incredibly thankful for the opportunity to live in a society with such education. Regardless of my gratitude towards these opportunities, I have realized that our society teaches us that education is a means to a financial and social end rather than the opportunity to explore our own interests. Rather than pursuing education with a sense of purpose, our society has taught us to pursue education out of a sense of obligation.

This recent epiphany and whole new perspective gave me the determination to take a gap year before college with the hopes of exploring my own interests and experiencing what this world has to offer. I believe immersing myself in various cultures and using my opportunities for the sake of others will allow me this sense of purposeful education that I am pursuing. I want to step off the path of linear learning and take education into my own hands. I want to force myself out of the bubble I live in and immerse myself in unfamiliar cultures and experience how others live their lives. I want to take responsibility for the environmental, social, and economic challenges that envelop the world around us. I want to make a change. Ultimately, I want to be purposeful in my education, learn who I am and what exactly I want to do with my life, and help others in the midst of all of this. I believe taking a purposeful, service-based gap year will turn these “wants” into my own reality. And that is exactly what I will do, with your help.

After weeks of research and extensive applications, I have received acceptance to two separate programs, Raleigh international and International Volunteer HeadQuarters (IVHQ), through which I will be volunteering on three trips to Nepal, Ghana, and Fiji.

My first trip focuses on water conservation; I will be traveling to and living in the many villages of Nepal for 10 weeks in the fall. Within those 10 weeks, I will work on 3 separate projects, an environmental, a community, and an adventure project. In the environmental project, I will be actively providing access to safe water and sanitation through labor intensive construction, building stronger, more resilient communities by raising awareness of these environmental issues, and helping to protect vulnerable environments. Secondly, in the community project, I will live and work alongside the local people to help provide access to education facilities, as well as raise awareness for issues such as health and hygiene, gender equality and access to education. Lastly, in the adventure phase, I will take part in a 21 day adrenalin-fuelled trek across the Himalayas while learning about wildlife, meeting rural communities, learning survival skills by day and camping at night.

After being home and working for two months, I will then move to Ghana and volunteer in an orphanage for 5 weeks. I will work on the childcare project where I will aim to provide better education, care and attention to children from low-income families, primarily in the orphanages of rural villages. I will wake up at 5:30 each morning to help with food preparation and meal distribution, assist children with brushing their teeth, help them take bucket showers, dress them, walk them 2 kilometers to school, assist with homework, help teach English and play games with the children after school everyday.

Similarly, in Fiji I will be working in the kindergarten project for 5 weeks. I will live in a volunteer house with up to 40 other volunteers from all over the world. I will work in local kindergartens with children aged 4 and 5, helping teachers with informal learning and confidence-building activities, playtime and basic English lessons.

I hope to be able to turn these opportunities into my own reality with your help. In order to achieve full independence and truly take education into my own hands, I will be paying for travel and volunteer work myself. I need help raising the necessary funds for this service-based year, but I want to work for this money; I like to consider it my “sweat equity.” I believe working towards my funds will make the experience more meaningful and give me a greater sense of ownership. I will be working for 10 weeks this summer as a camp counselor as well as working for Cloister Honey in the months I am home between my trips to pay for this year as much as I can myself. Although in order to reach the necessary funds needed, I would love for you to hire me for any help you may need. Possible “sweat equity” activities you could hire me for include babysitting, pet sitting or walking, house sitting, car washing, yard work, basic swim lessons, grocery shopping, running various errands, cleaning and organizing or anything else you may need. Additionally, I will be selling various paintings and works of art in symbolism of everything I am working towards.


I accept any form of payment including cash, check, or venmo (@tatehmueller) with a memo specifying your donation towards my year. I also have a fundraising page (https://www.fundmytravel.com/campaign/LMGmqHX8J4) for donating online! Go to fundmytravel.com and search Tate Mueller; the page is titled “My Service-Based Gap Year.” Remember, any contribution helps. Hire or contact me by my email or cell phone number listed below; please do not be afraid to reach out with any questions you have!! I would love to chat and respond best to a simple text :)


With your help, I will be able to take this year on, rather than off. Thank you!

Tate Mueller

704 579 8544 / tmueller105@gmail.com





  • Nepal
  • Suva, Fiji
  • Accra, Ghana