The Entrepreneur

You’ve got a knack for thinking up new projects and bringing them to life. You dream big and make things happen.

You’ll take full advantage of the independence on your gap year to help develop new initiatives in your host community. And after your gap year, you’ll be equipped with the real-world experience and entrepreneurial know-how to take on even bigger projects.

It's clear you're going places. A Global Citizen Year can help you get there.

Stories from Global Citizen Year Fellows like you!

Contribute to solar energy solutions.

Maybe, like Nic Freschi (Ecuador ‘12, College of New Jersey), you’ll be inspired after your gap year to launch your own award winning solar energy technology startup.

Fight food insecurity and malnutrition.

Maybe, like Alex Ding (Senegal ‘14, UChicago), you’ll help fight food insecurity and malnutrition by starting a community garden. You might even later win the Davis Peace Prize to go back to your community and expand this project.

Further Resources

Hear From Gap Year Fellows And Parents

Fellow / Senegal

New Continent, New Family

— Erik Oline

I turned around to the open arms of my host family (yes, all 23 of them)! The family farm is a little slice of heaven…

Jojo Shieh, Brazil '14, The New School

Parent / Brazil

Maturity & Perspective

— Shih-Hung Shieh

The Fellows mature into intelligent, compassionate, cosmopolitan citizens of the world, able to converse about global issues…

Photo by: Joseph Hansen, Ecuador '18, St. John's University

Fellow / Ecuador

Why I Came to Ecuador

— Henry Yeary

I wanted the world to slap me silly, sweep me up like a tornado and crash me down. I needed to live.

Indi Nunez, India '16, College of the Atlantic

Fellow / India

This is How I Will Save the World

— Indi Nunez

The world does not need us to save it; it needs us to understand it. Perhaps to help is not to give after all, but rather to empower…

Jordan Ricker, Senegal

Parent / Senegal

Real World Skills

— Pam Ricker (Jordan Ricker)

I am so glad my son has had this experience. It has given him more than the acquisition of two new languages…

Elise Leise, Senegal '18, Middlebury College

Fellow / Senegal

Ndanke, Ndanke

— Elise Leise

In a world filled with complex global challenges, I hope to be part of a generation that refuses to give up so easily.

Read their stories