Jereme Weiner: Bridging the Gap

When you first heard about gap years what appealed to you most?

It is really refreshing to be told you do not have to go to college right away. I liked the idea of taking a “pause” in between high school and college.

How did you make your selection?

I have always known about the gap year program of Young Judaea Year Course because it is associated with my sleep away camp. However, I did look into other programs before making my final decision to go on this specific program. Overall, Year Course was the best fit for what I wanted in a gap year.

At what point in the admissions process did you make the final decision that you would take a gap?

After getting into UGA, I knew taking a gap year would be financially possible. In early April, I officially decided on both UGA and the gap year program.

Did you feel you lost any momentum in the admissions process once you made the decision? Why?/Why not?

Not at all! Deciding to take a gap year is as much apart of the admissions process as college applications themself. I felt like I finally had things figured out when I made my official decision.

How is it related to your high school activities, if at all?

A lot of my high school activities were surrounded by Judaism, leadership and volunteering. The gap year program I am going on aligns completely with those things and I am looking forward to continuing to participate in those types of activities.

Why should students consider a gap?

Everyone should at least consider a gap year and see if it might be a good move for you! No one should feel like they HAVE to go straight to college. It is a great opportunity to pause and figure out what you want to focus on in school and life in general. Gap years can also connect you to great travel, education, and volunteer opportunities.

What do you hope to achieve over the next year?

I hope to learn about things I am passionate about, gain independence skills, continue to be able to advocate for Judaism and Zionism, travel, and have fun!

Any final advice to students?

Don’t feel like you have to go straight to college! There are always other options and college isn’t going anywhere!

Jereme Weiner is a 2019 Branching Out Scholar. She graduated from North Atlanta High School this past May where she was a member of the soccer team, National Honors Society, Beta Club, Key Club, in addition to many other groups on campus. In 2018 she was selected as one of two recipients nation-wide for the Hadassah Leaders of Tomorrow Award. We're very proud of Jereme and the legacy she will leave.

Photographed Above: Drew Sheldon (left) and Jereme Weiner (right), pictured with Amy Durham, are two 2019 Branching Out Graduates. Drew will be attending Davidson College this fall as a member of the Diving Team while Jereme will be moving to Israel for a year before joining the University of Georgia Class of 2024.