American Gap Association Panelists

The Gap Year: Clarity for College and Beyond

A Gap Year is a structured period of time between high school and college with some pretty magnificent data to support the outcomes. Students are better prepared for college, clearer about their own ambitions, and colleges love Gap Year graduates. Join us and our panel of Gap Year experts to talk about program options, planning suggestions, and integrating with college.

Panel discussion hosted by the Amercian Gap Association.

Ethan Knight, Executive Director, American Gap Association

Ethan Knight started working with Gap Years in 1996 when he took his own Gap Year to India, Nepal and Tibet.  After his Gap Year he returned to Willamette University where he graduated with a Bachelors degree in English and Philosophy.  He began his professional career at LEAPNOW, a Gap Year organization in California, and after 7 years launched his own organization, Carpe Diem Education which is headquartered in Portland, Oregon.  In 2012, Ethan launched the non-profit American Gap Association to establish best practices in Gap Year education, as well as focus on socio-economic parity in the field.  Ethan has led countless leadership training seminars, been a presenter at TEDx, been a guest speaker internationally, and believes firmly that education is the closest thing we have to a panacea for the world’s ills.

Eva Vanek - Admissions Director, Where There Be Dragons

WTBD Guatemala, Andes and Amazon Semester Instructor
B.A. with honors in International Development, minor in Anthropology, McGill University.

Growing up canoeing and camping along the shores of the St. Lawrence River, Eva has always been a nomad at heart. After completing two gap years working as a divemaster in South East Asia and volunteering throughout Central America, Eva returned to Canada to complete her degree at McGill. Using the momentum from her time abroad, Eva became a key member of the McGill student government, started an organization working with recent Canadian immigrants and spearheaded various initiatives such as the University’s Annual Human rights Speaker series. In 2006, Eva moved to Costa Rica to work with Reto Juvenil Internacional and coordinated youth volunteer involvement in local grass root development programs.

Inspired by slow travel, Eva made her way home from Limones Panama(and eventually to Northern ON) by taking over 70 local buses, 5 boat trips, various bike rides and by tackling a number of well-earned miles by foot. From 2007-2009, Eva worked as the Far North/Niagara Project Coordinator for Katimavik (Canada’s national leading youth service organization). In this role, Eva supervised 6 communities, partnered with over 50 not-for-profit organizations and managed close to 200 youth volunteers on their intensive 9 month odyssey across Canada. In the summer of 2009, Eva found her way to Dragons where she led a Guatemala program and later, a couple Andes and Amazon Semesters. Presently, Eva is thrilled to be working as the Dragons Admissions Director and in her spare time enjoys volunteering at the Boulder homeless shelter, touring on her bike and running Pop Up Cafes.

Brent Belamy - Carpe Diem Education

As an Oregon native, Brent graduated high school and was accepted at OSU to pursue a professional career in engineering. For reasons that still aren't clear, he made a last minute decision to delay his academic aspiration and took his first trip overseas. He landed in Australia and began traveling and living with an international community that began to transform his perspective of the world. This 6-month excursion redirected his life and paved the way for a decade of study, travel and work all across the globe. All together, Brent has spent nearly 4 years in 35+ countries. Some of his experiences include: well restoration/water purification in West Africa, organizing peace-building events in the Middle East, captaining a commercial fishing boat in Alaska, youth empowerment education in rural South America, eco-tourism development in SE Asia, leading wilderness/white water excursions across the US and community engagement projects in India.

Brent holds a B.A. in International Development and a Master in Public Administration with a focus on Global Leadership and Management. He also facilitates a communal living space in NE Portland with his wife Cassie. Brent feels strongly about utilizing his passions and interests to promote social equity and global awareness.

Madelyn Wigle - National Outdoor Leadership School

Madelyn Wigle is a marketing representative and gap year advisor for NOLS. Her journey at the school began in 2010 when she did a 30-day Alaska Backpacking course. From there, she went on to graduate from James Madison University in Virginia, and upon graduation, accepted an internship with NOLS in Lander, Wyoming in 2013. After her internship, she worked and traveled internationally for a year and a half and returned to Lander to work full time for NOLS this past February.  As an accredited 501(c)(3) educational school, NOLS takes students on extended wilderness expeditions teaching technical skills (like backpacking, rock climbing, sailing, etc.), leadership, and environmental ethics. Since 1965, NOLS has grown to 19 different locations internationally, and works with the University of Utah to provide college credit. NOLS offers a variety of course lengths, from 14 days, 30 days, semesters, and even an academic year lasting 135 days.