Taking Time Off, 2nd Edition

About This Book

Have you ever thought about taking time off to
ride your bike across the United States?
conduct research in the Amazonian rain forest?
work on a presidential campaign?
build houses for the poor?

Tens of thousands of students each year take a break before, or even during college to work, travel, volunteer, or do something just plain different. No matter what you may plan to do with your time away, Taking Time Off shows you how to make the most of it. Included are the inspiring stories of 26 students whose pursuits in their time away from school were fulfilling and enjoyable. You’ll find practical advice on every aspect of planning a break, from researching your options and financing your leave to convincing your parents it’s a worthy idea. This book’s resources section also lists programs, jobs, and American and international organizations that can help you to plan your own time off.

Table of Contents

CONTENTS
Preface .............................................................................................. 1
So Why Take Time Off? ................................................................... 7
Taking Time Off ............................................................................. 11
PART 1: Work
Kristin Erickson .............................................................................. 25
Worked for a nursing service in Appalachia and on an organic farm
Barzella Estle .................................................................................. 31
Worked as a model
Josh Fine ......................................................................................... 41
Created a one-man radio network to cover the first Clinton
campaign for college radio stations
Toni Gorog ..................................................................................... 51
Worked with scientists in the rain forests of Brazil
Doug Imbruce ................................................................................. 57
Spent two years running a dot-com
Tracy Johnston ............................................................................... 65
Worked on Bill Clinton’s first presidential campaign
Giev Kashkooli ............................................................................... 75
Worked for a legal defense service in Harlem and traveled to
Guatemala
Masa Kenney .................................................................................. 83
Fought in the Gulf War
Kristin Levine ................................................................................. 89
Worked as an au pair in Austria
Carrie Lee Newman ....................................................................... 97
Worked as a deckhand on a boat in Alaska
PART 2: Volunteer
Laura Castro ................................................................................. 105
Served in the California Conservation Corps
Tim Holtan .................................................................................... 111
Worked at an orphanage in Vietnam
Randy Lewis ................................................................................. 117
Worked on a boat with environmental activists
Cory Mason .................................................................................. 127
Volunteered for Habitat for Humanity
Kara Nelson .................................................................................. 135
Helped start a school in Zimbabwe
Burke Olsen .................................................................................. 143
Spent two years on a Mormon mission in Scotland and a semester
working on the 2002 Winter Olympics torch relay
Brendan Robinson ........................................................................ 153
Enrolled in City Year, a yearlong service program
Susan Steele .................................................................................. 163
Went to Colorado to teach disabled kids to ski
PART 3: Study
Ben Coolik .................................................................................... 171
Spent a year in Israel in a program specifically for young people
taking a year off before college
Celia Quezada .............................................................................. 179
Spent a year in Belgium on a Rotary Club scholarship
Eric Van Dusen ............................................................................. 185
Enrolled in a university in Argentina and traveled overland back to
the United States
PART 4: Travel
Ted Conover ................................................................................. 197
Rode freight trains with hoboes
Corey Flournoy ............................................................................ 207
Traveled around the United States as the first black national
president of FFA
Miles Gilliom ............................................................................... 213
Hiked the Appalachian Trail with his dog, Merlin
Abigail Marble ............................................................................. 221
Rode her bike across the United States
Hillary Zazove .............................................................................. 225
Camped in the Rockies with the National Outdoor
Leadership School
General Resources ........................................................................ 231
Work ...................................................................................... 232
Volunteer/Community Service .............................................. 239
Study ...................................................................................... 242
Travel/Outdoor Adventure .................................................... 244
Consultants ............................................................................ 246
About the Authors ........................................................................ 248