Trinity High School Seniors Maggie Torboli and Kaylee Gould have both decided that it would be in their best interest to take a gap year after their senior year of high school. With everything considered, they say that it is a stress reliever and the best option for them.

Torboli believes that taking a gap year will be most beneficial to her mental health. 

“With the constant pressure of keeping up with schoolwork on top of sports, work, and our regular lives, we must learn to know when our minds have had enough, and when it is time to give ourselves a break,” Torboli elaborated. 

Torboli wants to spend this time doing what makes her happy, enjoying life while she is young, and becoming more financially independent. She would like to see the world before she goes to college and plans on waitressing to save up money to do so.  

However, Torboli has an open mind when it comes to what she wants to do with her future and where she sees it going. 

She plans on eventually attending Slippery Rock University and said, “I’ve put a lot of thought into it and made this decision merely on what will make me happiest in life, but college is not for everyone. There are so many options and the possibilities are endless.” 

When Torboli does go to college, she plans on studying early childhood education or psychology.

“I have always been very passionate about making an impact on future generations. I strongly believe kids are shaped by the way they are taught in a classroom, and I want to be the teacher that makes a positive and memorable impact on them,” Torboli expressed. 

Gould would also like to attend college after her gap year. She doesn’t know exactly where she wants to go or what she wants to study, but she says that she has a few options in mind including English, an entomologist, a forensic scientist or anything in the art field. 

“I don’t want to get stuck doing something that I don’t like,” Gould expresses. 

Similar to Torboli, Gould states that the most important part of taking a gap year for her is to become more independent financially.

“I want to become more confident financially and more independent,” said Gould. 

She plans to accomplish this by working during her gap year and possibly picking up a job to save money. She is also looking forward to searching for schools to determine where she wants to go eventually. 

No matter the path a student decides to take, according to these young women, doing something that makes them happy is at the top of their list.