My gap Year
My Gap year has been an awesome experience and I have enjoyed every minute of it. But as I finish out the remainder of this year, I would like to share a couple highlights from my gap year. One of my favorite experiences from my gap year was doing shifts in the ER as a part of my EMT class in the fall. At first I dreaded the thought of having to do an eight hour shift at the hospital, not to mention I was super nervous and did not feel prepared. But after I got over the butterflies, I started to really enjoy it and learned a ton from shadowing the nurses and doctors. It was scary at first, and I wish I would have been able to get over the butterflies earlier, but once I jumped in and got my hands dirty, I really enjoyed it. In January, I took a trip to Kitwe, Zambia. I had taken a trip two years ago to Kenya with some classmates, and wanted to go back ever since. My dad had also taken two trips to Africa, and has a special connection through a local missions organization in Zambia. It was totally a God thing, but me and my dad were able to formulate a trip in a few weeks, and it turned out to be the most awesome experience ever. Not only is it a beautiful country, but the people are the most amazing, kindhearted people you will ever meet. I also got a chance to share some of my limited medical knowledge to the locals working in the ministry, which was amazing! It was awesome to see what God is doing there, and I was super exited to be a part of it!
There were also some challenging times this year; namely, boot camp. I swore in to the Air Force on January 17th and went to boot camp on March 14th. The hardest part about boot camp was being away from family so suddenly, and for so long. It really challenged me and shaped my perspective to undestand how blessed I am, and to not take for granted my family and friends.
I have had many changes in my college/career expectations and plans during this year. At the beginning of the year I knew I wanted to pursue a career in the medical field. Then I went through the EMT training and planned on getting my bachelors in Nursing, then becoming a Nurse practitioner or Physicians assistant. After doing research and interning with multiple PA’s, I have my mind set on pursuing a career as a PA. I know I could not have made all these decisions without talking with different people in different career fields, and the internships I was able to do. I am so glad I decided to do a Gap Year, I learned more than I thought I ever would, and feel more ready to attend FSU than ever!
