GAP
Taking a Year Once upon a time, the main question facing Lakefield
both in Australia, and Carole McLaren to Regent
students in their final year of high school was: which
School in Thailand.
university should I go to?
“My job is based in the boarding house, and in the
Now, it’s a whole new world, and a new word, too. That
junior school I work on reading recovery and literacy
word is “gap.”
skills,” says Hannah. “The school is great and I really
The idea of “taking a gap year” is becoming an increasingly attractive option for Lakefield students. While once the number of students who didn’t proceed directly to post-secondary education could be counted
like it here,” she adds, of the school where she spent an exchange term several years ago. Like many students in similar situations, Hannah loves being able to travel at break times.
on one hand, in more recent years, 10 to 15 students
Carole is enthusiastic about the gap opportunity,
each year decide to “take a year off.”
even though she’s far away from home. “It’s pretty
The tradition of “taking a gap” has come to these shores from Great Britain, where this is a common practice
overwhelming sometimes to be so far away from my family and friends, but I’m enjoying life here a lot.”
for “school leavers.” Student culture in North America
Another popular vehicle for students taking gap years
has been slower to adapt to the practice, but the gap
is the British Alumni Travelling Scholarship (BATS),
year is becoming big business. Many companies and
awarded to a graduating student to help support him or
programs vie to arrange gap year experiences for
her while working and travelling in Britain and Europe.
students.
All winners benefit from being able to stay with Dr.
Many Lakefield grads have found success through LCS-related activities. Three 2007 grads have travelled
Tim Ward ’62 and his family for several weeks before venturing out into living in London on their own.
abroad to work as residential and program assistants at
“They were really welcoming and so nice,” reports
Round Square schools: Hannah Anglesey to Ballarat
Helen Honig ’07, this year’s BATS recipient. Helen
Grammar School and Nick Barbaro to Armidale School,
worked in the famed department store Harrod’s. “It’s
10 | Grove News Fall/Winter 2008