by Katie Parkinson, photo by Lauren Langdon

As the days until graduation dwindle down, most STA seniors are preparing to make the transition to college. However, senior Anja Browning is preparing for her gap year – a year in which she can focus on volunteering and work rather than going to school. According to Browning, her motivation is primarily financial.

“My parents and I looked at the [federal aid] FAFSA information for the last two schools I had narrowed my choice down to, Missouri University of Science and Technology and Rockhurst University,” Browning said. “We looked over the numbers, and there were so many unsubsidized loans my parents would have to take out. We figured if I could take a gap year, that one year would give my parents time to improve our financial situation.”

According to Browning, if the financial factor wasn’t there, she would definitely be going to college next year. However, she is still excited.

“One thing I’ve really been looking forward to is getting into the workforce more, and I’m so excited to take a bunch of jobs and volunteer and stay super busy,” Browning said.

Browning, who already works at the home-appliance store Pryde’s in Westport, plans to pick up more hours there as well as find a waitressing job and an additional job on the Plaza. She also hopes to volunteer at Children’s Mercy or other area hospitals such as St. Luke’s or the University of Kansas Medical Center.

“I want to get a lot of hospital experience in because there’s the six-year med program at University of Missouri-Kansas City that I really want to apply to,” Browning said. “I know the program is actually going to look more kindly on me since I took a gap year. When you’re 18 and applying to college, you’re not going to look immature, but sort of young. Whereas if I’m 19, and I actually took some time to volunteer and work a lot and take a break between a rigorous high-school year and a rigorous program, that will actually help me in the long run.”

To keep her brain in shape academically, Browning said she considered taking courses at Metropolitan Community College. However, she ultimately decided to study on her own so she could go into UMKC as a freshman rather than a transfer, which would help her out with scholarships and financial aid.

For the next year, while Browning works and studies, she will live at home with her parents, saving two-thirds of her money for college. If her parents decide that the arrangement is not working out, she will have 30 days’ notice to find an apartment.

“I’m just really excited for [the gap year],” Browning said. “On the other hand, it’s also going to be kind of sad because my best friend, [senior] Zoe Krygiel, is going to Mizzou, and my boyfriend, [Pembroke Hill School senior] James Stites, is going away to Washington, D.C., so I’m losing my two closest friends.”

According to Browning, while her friends have chosen to go to college rather than take a gap year, they were supportive of her choice.

“At first I was worried because there’s generally the stereotype that young adults who take one gap year turn it into two or three gap years or give up college altogether,” Krygiel said. “But after talking with Anja . . . she explained to me the money gap in her tuition that she can’t pay for. I don’t necessarily 100-percent agree with her method for college, but I’m here to support her in whatever decision she makes.”

According to Browning, she is aware of the stigma attached to taking a gap year but carefully weighed her options and chose what was best for her future.

“I felt a little bit like people might judge me, but I have to take the steps that are best for me,” Browning said. “I want to be a doctor, so I am definitely going to go to college.”

According to college counselor Debi Hudson, very few students at STA have ever decided to take a gap year.

“When a student applies after taking a gap year, or time off before college, many colleges want to know why (purpose, what did the student learn from the experience etc.),” Hudson wrote in an email. “Ideally, when a student takes a gap year, they’ve completed the college application and admission process and have chosen a school. They then defer their admission for a semester or a year. If a student goes through the search and application process when they’re out of high school, it can be difficult to manage the process without guidance, reminders, assistance with processing, and obtaining teacher recommendations.”

According to Browning, while it might take more work to go to college after a gap year, she believes the effort will be worth it for her.

“If paying for school is a worry, then give yourself that year to figure everything out,” Browning said. “It’s so much better to go to college being on a better emotional and economical level, and you’re going to enjoy college that much more.”