In high school, there are people who know exactly what they want to do with their lives after graduation, and there are those who are just not sure yet. I started out my high school career somewhat lost and clueless, as most freshmen are.

I was not particularly interested in any academic class enough to have a desire to major in it in college, and possibly make it my job for the remainder of my life. So then, I took a step back and thought maybe I don?t have to be a doctor or a teacher, maybe I could do something that really makes me happy.

For me that was drama class. Being on stage, acting or singing, is what I live for. Since my first role in my third grade class?s instalment of The Wizard of Oz, I fell in love with the spotlight. During my sophomore year, I knew what I wanted to do with my life, but then again I had no clue where to start.

During the rest of my years at Fresno Christian, I learned that there are many different paths you can take while looking for career possibilities and choosing what to do about the whole college thing.

I myself chose a somewhat ?weird? or different path in the words of my teachers. Even though this is a weird path to follow after high school, many other people from this very school have chosen unique careers after graduating from high school.

For example, Megan Witters, who graduated from Fresno Christian in 2007, decided that she wanted to become a baker as her choice of career. After her two years of working experience at Hume Lake, Witters set out to apply to the Culinary Institute of America in St. Helena CA.

According to Witters it was clear to her that she wanted to pursue a career in the culinary field, after working at Hume Lake. It took Witters two years to graduate including a 5 month internship, but she received her AA degree in occupational studies of baking and pastry arts, and is now a successful pastry chef.

So, now having a clue what I wanted to do with my life, I had to figure out where to go and how to get there. During my junior year, I solidified my path for college and now know exactly what I?m doing. My plan after graduation is to pack my bags and head North to live in the wonderful state of Oregon, and major in performing arts in college and hopefully after that make acting my full time job.

Now most people will tell you that going out of state for college is ridiculously expensive due to out of state tuition, which is very true. However, there is an easy way around it, the way that I have decided to take. I am taking something called a gap year.

A gap year is when you can take a year off of school in between high school graduation and opening day for most colleges. Unlike most of my classmates who had to go through the college application process this past fall semester, I get to wait until next fall to go through the same process as them.

What’s the difference between the application process for someone taking a gap and someone who is not? Nothing. You do everything exactly the same, scholarship applications, grants and the actual college application. Personally, taking a gap year will not just benefit me financially, but mentally.

During this gap year, I can take a little break from the life of a student, focus on becoming a better man and getting more in touch with God. This allows me to become a more well rounded and mature person, and I think that will substantially benefit me during my time in college.

I would recommend to anyone who wants to go out of California for college to take a gap year, or even to someone who just needs time to figure things out before heading off to college. Taking a gap year is a valid option for any student, and it could change your college experience for the better.

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For more opinions, read the Jan. 31 article, Campus president takes 70-day pledge.