At AHS, students start learning about college at the end of sophomore year and are highly encouraged to continue their academics after high school. Although most students feel the pressure to head to universities, some feel that they have more to offer or to gain from the world before getting a degree.

More and more AHS students are choosing to take a year or so off from their academics between high school and college. These so-called gap years are taken to allow students to find their own path, whether it be pursuing interest in athletics, finding a job and getting work experience, or just taking the time to mature and figure out what’s next.

“I chose to take a gap year because I needed to mature a bit. There is a lot of stress involved in college and I needed time to learn how to handle myself and straighten out my priorities,” 2013 AHS graduate Daly Maron said.

And Maron did just that. She lived in Los Angeles and Orange County for six months and recently moved to Boulder to get a job and settle in before she starts school at CU in the fall of 2014. Maron said her year off taught her about maturity and responsibility.

“If I decide to not go to a class, I miss the work, maybe a test, but if I miss work, I lose my job. It’s the grown up world,” Maron said.

AHS 2010 graduate Riley Heald had a similar experience, except he went to the University of Colorado the year immediately following high school and found that he had made the wrong choice. In order to get back on track and find what was right for him he took a year off between his freshman and sophomore year in college.

“This year has given me time to readjust and prepare to take my academics seriously again,” Heald said.

Devon Cardamone, a 2013 graduate, chose to take a gap year for a different reason. He didn’t need the time to figure out his priorities; he knew exactly what he wanted to pursue and that it was up to him to go after it.

“For me, taking a gap year has let me continue to improve as a skier,” Cardamone said.

Cardamone’s time off from school has paid off in that he has been doing extremely well with skiing. If he doesn’t make the U.S. Ski Team, he says he will at least be prepared for D1 skiing in college. Cardamone doesn’t suggest a gap year to just anyone.

“I would suggest a gap year to anyone who could take time off and still maintain focus on their goals in life,” Cardamone said.

Senior Xon Baker hopes for exactly that. He has his eye on getting better at skiing, but also to better situate himself for college. Baker has desire to go out and see the world.

“I think my gap year will give me time to do what I’ve wanted to do but have never had the time for, like traveling,” he said.

Baker doesn’t want to rush through his childhood and with the college counselors support, he knows he will stay on track and get back to his academics after a year of learning outside of the classroom.

All of these students have the desire to continue learning and that’s what will keep them motivated in the long run. As for whether they suggest taking a gap year, Cardamone has insightful advice:

“If you’re unsure about what you’re going to do with your future, consider taking some time to figure it out.”