This past weekend when we drove away from dropping our son off for his first year of college, my husband and I spoke about how thankful we were that he had spent a Gap Year at CAP as a volunteer and AmeriCorps Member. We knew he was ready for this next adventure.
A year earlier we had made a similar drive to his volunteer house. After spending so many hours behind a screen during high school he was ready for a hands-on experience. We were happy that he would be exploring his independence in an organization that valued service, community, and spirituality. Additionally, we knew he would have the support of a volunteer life advisor and AmeriCorps programming.
Our son chose to serve in the Housing Repair Program and over the course of his volunteer term he learned practical repair skills, but he also learned leadership skills that allowed him to guide mission groups in safety protocols. At the end of his term, he had gained valuable friendships and an education award as well as an inner strength that has prepared him well for his college years.
As a volunteer recruiter, I hope to share my experience as a parent of a One-Year Volunteer and AmeriCorps Member with other parents and young people. I know it to be a valuable bridge between high school and college and it’s something that I encourage more families to consider.
