Following the orthodox path seems all too familiar to Senior Olivia Burton. While most high school students are expected to continue straight into a four year college, Burton decided to volunteer for a women’s health organization in Uganda.

Burton’s specific choice may be an outlier, but her decision to look beyond college is beginning to be more popular at Creek. Deciding not to go straight to college wasn’t an impulsive thought.

Like most highschool students, she wanted to find a passion and create lifelong memories, “So I could gather myself, figure out what I wanted to do, experience a little bit” Burton said.

Contrary to popular belief, a gap year isn’t just staying in your parents’ basement. As Counselor Christine Snow explains, “A gap year is typically an internship or volunteering related activity to ease a student into college.”

The experience is meant to broaden a student’s perspective, which was one of the main reasons she wanted to join,“I always knew I wanted to travel and women’s health is really important and something I’m really passionate about”

Ultimately, the best part of deciding to volunteer instead is that she can make that decision: “The best part is getting to do what I want to do and go at my own pace.”