Irene Malarkey:  Irene is currently spending the second half of her "gap year" in Europe.  She spent summers in high school on exchange and volunteering in Latin America.

Daniel Sharp:  Daniel took a year off in high school traveling throughout Argentina.   He is currently an outdoor guide in Venezuela.  

Brett Close:  Brett took his junior year off of college.  He spent the year helping with the Kerry campaign, volunteering on a permaculture farm in Costa Rica, working with alternative energy in Nicaragua, and traveling back to the U.S. via bus, among other things.


From some parents:

Jean Malarkey: Jean is Irene's mom.  Her son has also taken time off of school  Read this testimonial to hear her thoughts on stepping out (from a parent's perspective).

Mary Koehler: This is a testimonial from my mom, who supported me in both my time off and in school.  She is one of the wisest people I know. 

From some Australians:

Cassie King:  Cassie took a year off after high school working, traveling in southeast Asia, and then working at a summer camp in the US.  Since then, she has spent a year on exchange in the U.S., designed and led American high schoolers on an Australian trip, and led a group of volunteers in Costa Rica, among other things.

Emma Walsh:  Emma saved money and spent nine months post-university traveling in Africa, Europe, and Canada.  She enjoyed her experience so much that four years later she lead a group of volunteers in Costa Rica.

And one Canadian:

Alison Clark:  Alison was a member of the group of volunteers Cassie took to Costa Rica.  Read this testimonial for a summary of what she learned from that experience.