College: the next step after high school where Seniors go off, live their life, and face the real world. As this exciting moment approaches the Class of 2018, many people are wondering which college each person is going to.
However, there is one Senior who is not going to college right after graduation. That person is María Ganz, who is deciding to take a gap year before she attends college.

During her gap year, Ganz will work at Kennelly Keys, a music store near her house, so that she can earn money to travel. She says that she loves music and wanted to work somewhere where she would enjoy what she was doing.
Once she has earned enough money, she would like to travel to Namibia in Africa to practice and learn German. Additionally, she would like to travel to a French speaking country. “My main goal is to go to places where I don’t speak the language,” explains Ganz. “I have a lot of fun communicating with people who are not from here and learn the slang.”

When Ganz eventually attends college, she would like to double major in Music Education and Psychology with a minor in French. She hopes to study first at a community college to get her associates degree and then apply to Seattle University, Western Washington University, and University of Washington.
When someone announces that they will be taking a gap year before college, there is a chance that people will respond negatively to their decision. Ganz has been faced with these types of responses before. However, she is very happy with her decision.

“[People tell] me that I won’t go to college because they assume that I don’t want to go to school. My decision is a conscious one I have been planning since sophomore year. The only negative is that I will miss school because of routine and learning.

Overall, I am optimistic” said Ganz.

Ganz shows that deciding to take a gap year takes a lot of time to think through. Ganz advises that “it should not be a whim decision. It has to be very methodical. You need a plan.” Additionally, she advises to have everything planned out because otherwise someone may fall into a “pattern” of not attending school and not working.