May 16, 2025
By: Camey VanSant
By Ryan Originally written summer / early fall 2024 “What do you want to study in college?” For years, my answer to that question was vague but simple: “Whatever helps me understand and tackle big problems.” If prompted for more,...
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May 12, 2025
By: Camey VanSant
By Alícia Reflecting on my experiences this year, the first semester of 2025 has been incredibly exciting and fulfilling. With my ballet company in Romania, I’ve had the immense joy of debuting in multiple roles in the classical masterpieces Giselle...
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May 4, 2025
By: Camey VanSant
By Alexa After performing the Nutcracker for 12 years straight at my old studio, I thought I would be prepared for my first professional performance; I was wrong! After some time to reflect on that experience, I feel like I...
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April 27, 2025
By: Camey VanSant
By Griffin After working at a Christmas tree lot throughout December, I eagerly awaited the next phase of my gap year adventures. In early January, I embarked on the next leg of my travels, which would take me through Costa...
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By: Camey VanSant
By Anson Berlin Traveling to Berlin, the theme of history carried over from Rome. This time, the past wasn’t always so uplifting or prosperous but rather a harrowing reflection of what humans have endured. With the remnants of the Berlin...
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April 7, 2025
By: Camey VanSant
By Natasha Natasha is a member of the 2023-24 DGYP cohort. [caption id="attachment_4949" align="aligncenter" width="300"] 2024台灣燈會在臺南 / Taiwan Lantern Festival in Tainan[/caption] 2024, the year of the dragon! If I could describe what celebrating the lunar new year in Taiwan...
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April 5, 2025
By: Camey VanSant
By Ella According to Webster’s Dictionary, identity is “the distinguishing character or personality of an individual.” The option of taking a gap year had never been something on my radar. School was everything to me growing up. I loved to...
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February 12, 2025
By: Camey VanSant
By Siena Hi! My name is Siena and I’m from Minneapolis, Minnesota. I got back to the US from Nepal at the end of November, and, since then, I have been bombarded with the same vague question: “How was Nepal?!”....
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February 9, 2025
By: Camey VanSant
By Akira By now, I’ve lost count of the number of times friends and family have asked, “Hey, how’s your gap year going so far?” more times than I can count. At first, I’m tempted to just say, “It’s been...
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February 4, 2025
By: Camey VanSant
By Alícia Recently, I came across a thought-provoking question: When was the last time you paused and recalculated the route of your life, like a GPS? It struck a chord and prompted reflection on my own journey. Just last summer,...
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