- Destination
- Peru
- Traveled
- 2012
This alumni profile shares Mikaela Gillman’s experience on Rustic Pathways’ Latin American Semester in 2012, a gap semester through Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Panama and Peru before she started college in 2013.
In Peru she met the Sacred Valley Project, a nonprofit that runs dormitories so girls from remote mountain communities can attend high school. Mikaela explains how it led to her research on migration for education among Quechua-speaking children and a year of study in Chile.
Mikaela Gillman took part in Rustic Pathways’ Latin American Semester in 2012, traveling through Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Panama, and Peru, before starting college in 2013.
For Mikaela, her gap semester was the perfect transition from high school to college.
“When I was looking at colleges, from the beginning I wanted to take a Gap. I knew I loved travel, knew I had an interest in Spanish, but I didn’t know exactly what I wanted to study,” Mikaela said.
“I also wanted to break up high school and college.”
How Mikaela’s Gap Semester Led Her to the Sacred Valley Project in Peru
During her gap semester, Mikaela was introduced to the Sacred Valley Project (SVP), a nonprofit that focuses on improving access to education for young women from low-income families in the remote, mountain communities of Peru.
SVP runs two dormitories that provide room, board, and educational support to young women during the school week so that they can continue their studies. The young women of the dorm live too far away from high school to be able to commute daily from home.
For Mikaela, finding SVP was a turning point:
“I was inspired by the project and it really triggered my awareness to the complexities in seeking education—specifically for Quechua-speaking youth in Peru. I wanted to learn more about youth migration for education so I did a research project on the topic my freshman year. I wrote a 20 page paper titled, ‘The Circulatory Migration for Education of Quechua-Speaking Children in Peru.’ When I turned in my paper my professor told me that if I wanted to delve deeper and write a thesis on the topic my senior year, that she would be interested in advising me.”
From Gap Semester to College Research on Education in Peru
Mikaela went on to plan a year-long study abroad experience in Chile at Pontificia Universidad Católica de Valparaíso, studying social work and Latin American studies.
She hoped to return to Peru and visit SVP to conduct research for her thesis, focusing on the impact of migration for education on the migrant child and their family.
Mikaela’s Advice for Students Considering a Gap Year
Mikaela credits her gap semester with preparing her for college. For others considering a gap year, she has these words of advice:
“I think that whether you work, travel, learn a new skill, or something different, it is valuable to take time away from school to learn about yourself and about life from outside of an academic environment. I always tell people that taking a gap year was the best decision I ever made. It shaped my interests and gave me direction once I started college. I felt that I knew myself better after spending a year on my own and outside of my comfort zone. I also have a much clearer idea of who I am, what my interests are, and what I want to gain from my education.”
Mikaela describes how her gap semester shaped her interests and gave her direction in college. Her memories concern the 2012 semester, and her plans are reported as they stood when the profile was published.
The Latin American Semester is no longer offered. See Rustic Pathways Gap Year for current gap year programs.
