Finding your place in the world
While many students choose to take a gap year after high school, some also decide to pursue it after completing college and before entering the workforce. Such was the experience of Sarah Wells, 22, another GOLD LifeGuard who heard about the gap year program through Spohn. Wells learned about GOLD during the coronavirus pandemic in summer 2020. After graduating from Centre College in Danville, Ky., in May 2020, she was motivated to take time off. “The COVID pandemic made me realize that the world was in a tough place and I wasn’t ready to enter the job market yet,” explained Wells. “I also had skipped seventh grade as a child, so I already felt a little rushed academically and I wanted to take time to get to know myself better.” She sought a more hands-on path to discover how she wanted to make her impact on the world, beyond what she was taught in the classroom. “In college, we talked a lot about policies and changing the world, but it was all in very broad strokes,” recalled Wells. “But I realized that before I could make the changes I wanted to see, I needed to live in other peoples’ shoes and understand what their struggles were.” At the end of the day, living and caring for the elderly provided Wells with a fresh outlook and life lessons that transcended any text book. “What I learned during my gap year at GOLD is that you can only make the world a better place by the hearts that you touch, and often that happens on a one-on-one basis,” said Wells.
SPOHN (LEFT) AND WELLS (BACK) CELEBRATE HALLOWEEN AT GOLD.
Dr. Elise Brantley (405) 562-6222
54 METROFAMILYMAGAZINE.COM / JAN-FEB 2022
Made with FlippingBook Ebook Creator