After traveling more than 10,000 miles via hiking paths, U.S interstates, Costa Rican mountain roads and cross continental flights, the 15 members of the Class of 2019 are ready to begin the next leg of their journey on campus.
To kick off the semester, the students hiked 70-plus miles during a 26-day wilderness expedition in the Wind River Mountain Range through the National Outdoor Leadership School. After a week exploring some of the most breathtaking National Parks the country has to offer, the cohort spent four weeks learning about poverty and social justice issues and engaging with communities in Pine Ridge, South Dakota; St. Louis, Missouri; Mullens, West Virginia; and Washington, D.C., for the service-learning portion of the semester. They topped off the semester with a six-week Spanish and culture immersion in San Jose, Costa Rica, where they had the opportunity to explore volcanoes, cloud forests and beaches in Central America.
After winter break, students will travel to North Carolina to begin the next leg of their journey: starting classes on Elon’s campus. In an effort to start connecting to campus prior to their arrival in January, Gap students have been hard at work applying for—and being accepted to—several campus leadership positions. These include four First-Year Summer Experience facilitators, two Elon Volunteers! Coordinators, one Alternative Service Break participant and one Leadership Fellow.
To learn more about the Elon Gap Experience, read the program’s blog: http://elongapsemesterprogram.wordpress.com.