Funding For A Once In A Lifetime Gap Year!!

Christina Cruz Start Date: Aug 29, 2021 - End Date: Aug 28, 2022
  • London, United Kingdom
  • Amsterdam, OH, United States of America
  • Paris, France
  • Barcelona, Spain
  • Tokyo, Japan
  • Australia
  • New Zealand
  • England, United Kingdom

My Travel Story

by: Christina Cruz Start Date: Aug 29, 2021 - End Date: Aug 28, 2022
Hi!

My name is Christina Cruz and I am a recent high school graduate in New York City. I am reaching out to prospective funders because I have an opportunity to attend a gap year internship program with EF Gap Year which will enable me to experience a vast amount of unique cultures, learn a new language, develop new life skills, improve myself, and even prepare for college. Traveling the world is going to be entirely new to me, and the realization that there is a whole world out there beyond this island to which I currently reside never ceases to excite me. It has been determined that students who decide to take a gap year usually return from the gap year even more enthusiastic about starting their college journey, as well as developing the maturity and independence required to succeed in life beyond college. Moreover, a gap year will give me the time and freedom to explore and pursue activities that could turn into lifelong passions. I am also looking for the opportunity to enhance my resume through a pre-college internship, along with volunteer experiences that will provide me with a diverse set of opportunities, enabling me to get into various high-ranking colleges. Up until my senior year of high school, I was a student that did not take my education nor the opportunities around me seriously as my priorities laid elsewhere. Therefore, I did not give much thought to maintaining a steady GPA nor building a resume for educational opportunities and college. However, what I lacked to achieve in the past no longer matters as I am here now, in this present moment, eager and determined to indulge in all the knowledge and experience this world has to offer. Nonetheless, I am aware that there may be some negative aspects of taking a year off, yet, I remain motivated and determined to maintain a positive outlook overall, especially after the year and a half I have had to experience with the Coronavirus pandemic. As ambitious I might be, there are some major financial challenges I must contend with if this dream was to ever be fulfilled. You see, both of my parents are dealing with their challenges as both are disabled. My mother was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis { a chronic progressive disease that over time damages the sheaths of nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord }. This is a disease in which the immune system eats away at the protective covering of nerves. Regarding my dad, he was diagnosed with Guillain-Barre Syndrome which is a rare disorder in which your body’s immune system attacks the nerves damaging the myelin sheath, eventually leading to the paralysis of the entire body if not treated quickly at a hospital. There is no known cure for this disease, but several treatments can ease symptoms and reduce the duration of the illness. I understand that many may not be interested in listening or rather reading about someone’s experiences and challenges as they journey through their academic experience, however, my situation is kind of rare and unprecedented where a household has two parents on disability. Whilst my parents are no longer together, it’s been difficult navigating through my academic years worried about my parent's health, and without the financial necessities necessary for academic growth involving tutors, prep courses for college, and tuition. I thought I would share this information not for sympathy, but for understanding my plight financially.

Throughout the time of my travels with EF Gap Year, I will be exploring Europe for 2 weeks to kickstart my global excursion. 4 days will be spent in each country which includes England, Netherlands, France, and Spain. During this time, I will have the opportunity to gaze in awe at the historical Westminster Abbey in London, explore the Damrak Square in Amsterdam, capture the beauty of the Notre-Dame Luxembourg Gardens in Paris, and even visit the world-renowned Placa de Catalunya in Spain! This European immersion tour grants me the chance to not only witness authentic daily lives from various cultures in each city but broaden my perspective of life outside of America.

Moreover, as someone who has recently developed a passion for linguistics, I am thrilled to say that studying a language of choice for 6 weeks is next on the itinerary! I have chosen to study Japanese in Japan during this time as I believe it's a beautiful and interesting language to spend this time diving in. I find learning new languages quite fun because it's as if you're becoming a part of a whole new world! Learning new languages is a great and beneficial way to connect with people from different international backgrounds, and it's an amazing way to even show appreciation to various and certain cultures. Becoming a fluent multilingual is one of the long-term goals that I can't wait to achieve in the future, therefore receiving the opportunity to kickstart my Japanese learning journey in the native country is nothing less than exciting!

After Japan, I am going to begin service learning for another 6 weeks in Peru. I am tremendously looking forward to this, as I have a strong desire to make a real social impact however I can. Whether it's working hands-on with the environment to help improve the health of our beautiful planet or engaging with local communities by lending a helping hand, I am prepared and eager to assist the people of this world any way I can and become a global citizen that the world currently needs.

After those 6 weeks of volunteer work are done, my traveling buddies and I will start an immersion tour of Australia and New Zealand for 3 weeks. For 13 days our adventures throughout Australia will grant me the opportunity to experience firsthand its cultural past through its aboriginal and colonial customs and traditions. We will be starting at Melbourne, moving on to the Great Barrier Reef, and lastly Sidney for guided sightseeing! Following after, we will spend a total of 7 days having a Maori cultural experience in New Zealand, exploring the scenic waterfalls and glaciers, and ending our stay by sightseeing at Auckland Waiheke island.

Last but not least, I will be heading back to Japan for one last 6-week stay to take part in my very first internship! Through my internship in Tokyo, I will be placed with an organization and mentored by professionals. Being a part of an internship abroad is going to allow me to enhance my communication skills, become familiar with business-related tasks as well as build fundamental business skills, expand networks and build contacts, and even assist in having a clear sense of future career interests. During these weeks I am going to be living with other interns and it will be my first time living abroad! Along with the internship, I will also have the opportunity to explore more of Japan's enigmatic beauty through participating in outings, events, and excursions that EF sets up for us.

To conclude our memorable international adventures, my cohorts and I will head back to Ashridge House, a few minutes outside of London, for Leadership Academy. Leadership Academy is a program held by EF where my cohorts and I will spend days reflecting on our travels and experiences, attending seminars held by management and international business experts, participating in workshops, and receiving a lot of skill-building! Through this academy, I will not only be graduating with an understanding of leadership through a global context but with new professional and personally developed skills. On the last 2 days in London, I will be creating and developing a post-gap plan for success in college with the help of professionals, and close off with a gala banquet and awards ceremony.

To be accepted and a part of such an amazingly crafted traveling program that will help me live my gap year to the fullest is an honor I am highly grateful for. There's a certain negative notion around taking a gap year such as, "it will cause one to become lazy" or "uninterested in attending college", but I wholeheartedly believe it provides the opposite effect. Taking a gap year allows one to rediscover their passions and purpose in life, and can even provide a logical understanding of who they are as global citizens of the world. During a gap year, one can truly enhance their overall being for the better, as well as learn lifelong lessons from the people they meet and the experiences they make.

Traveling abroad after graduating from high school meets my personal goals, as I want to use all the knowledge I learn overseas to assist me as a student in my college years. I desire to enter my college year knowing how to build contacts, how to sufficiently communicate with my peers, and how to adjust to new settings. Whether I obtain a newfound interest in the business world or an enhanced fascination for linguistics, I am looking forward to how EF Gap Year will change my life, mindset, and overall being. Nonetheless, with all the knowledge, opportunities, and experiences that I gain, I want to be able to pay it forward towards young black girls such as me, who share similar goals and interests as me but are less fortunate than I am. There is a strong significant importance of uplifting and encouraging the black girls who unfortunately aren't, so I want to be able to use my resources and accomplishments to their gain.

As I reach the end, I would like to take this time to thank all of you who have used your valuable time to read about my gap year aspirations and goals with EF. To those wonderful and generous people who have pitched in and donated, I am extremely and utterly thankful for you beyond words. Knowing that I am being assisted towards reaching my financial goal makes me even more determined to make the most out of this upcoming experience and learning adventure to come.

Wishing you all the best and thank you so much once again!

Christina Cruz
  • London, United Kingdom
  • Amsterdam, OH, United States of America
  • Paris, France
  • Barcelona, Spain
  • Tokyo, Japan
  • Australia
  • New Zealand
  • England, United Kingdom

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