Jane & Jason Sarouhan

Now that the secret is out...We can officially say... Congrats to Maggie Gibson, our $5,000 USA Gap Year Fair Scholarship Winner!! 🌍🥳 Last week, we teamed up with @wheretherebedragons and traveled to Portland, Oregon, to surprise Maggie IRL. We're still smiling from it. 🥹 Maggie is using her scholarship to head to Indonesia with @wheretherebedragons for a trip full of real-world learning, new challenges, and meaningful growth 🌏 From there, she’ll work through the winter and continue on to another program in the spring. To help her plan the perfect year, Maggie will also get in-kind mentorship from gap year consultant, Jane, of @j2guides ! 🫶 To everyone who applied, we want to say a huge thank you. Choosing just one winner is never easy, but please keep an eye out! More scholarships are always on the way! ✈️💰💸 💙 Watch Maggie's surprise and interview here: https://bit.ly/42dtKiu #gapyear #funding #scholarship #usagapyearfairsscholarship #gapyearscholarship

Hello Seniors! If you have gotten into college but aren’t quite ready to jump into the classroom and want to take a gap year instead, you’re in good company. Taking a gap year is increasingly common, and colleges view it quite favorably. They love seeing students arrive on campus more mature, focused, and refreshed. However, you can’t just “not show up.” You need to officially defer your admission. Here is your step-by-step guide to navigating the process. 1. Check the Rules Every school has its own policy. Start by searching the college website or your acceptance letter for terms like “deferment” or “gap year.” If you can’t find anything, email your admissions officer. Don’t worry—asking for a deferral will not jeopardize your admission - schools want you to be successful! 2. Identify your “Why” Before you write your request, you need a plan. At J2Guides, we always start with one question: #WhatIsYourWhy? 3. Use the “Oreo Cookie” Approach When it’s time to write your formal deferral letter, we recommend the Oreo Cookie approach, a communication technique where critical feedback is sandwiched between two positive, encouraging statements. With this approach, your gap year doesn’t read as a lack of interest in the school, but rather as a beneficial preparation for it. For more details AND a sample deferral letter, head on over to our blog: How to Write a College Deferral Letter Using an Oreo Cookie: /2026/04/27/how-to-write-a-college-deferral-letter-using-an-oreo/ 📷 J2Guides’ gap alum and shero @sophiaslesar getting her gap year request approved with the oreo cookie method (and getting her Yoga Teacher Training certification in Greece!)

TRANSFORMATIONAL. That is how our amazing gapper Sienna describes her gap year. Personal growth. Career growth. Reaffirming. Growing into the world. Eye opening. Curious to learn more about what your gap time could do for you? Contact us to schedule a free brainstorming session! 📷 Huge thanks to our friends and colleagues at @vacorps for supporting so many of our gappers, and for making this short video of Sienna during her ER internship in Cape Town!

Do you have a young adult in your life about to graduate high school or college and embark on a gap year? Gap-focused graduation gifts are the PERFECT way to show your support for that intrepid gapper! There are many, many items that your outbound adventurer will want or need on their gap year, such as: *headlamp *travel games *bluetooth speaker *frequent flyer miles *insulated water bottle *packing cubes (IYKYK) *international power adapter *TSA approved combo travel lock *gift cards to stores like EMS or REI *tech organizer (for charger, adapter, cords, etc) 📷 A little goes a long way to support a young adult who is courageously embarking on this next amazing step in their life and learning ... so for their graduation gift, ask what they need for their gap year, or start with these tried and true J2Guides’ suggestions!

Thinking about hitting “pause” before the next big chapter? Whether you’re finishing high school, graduating college, or just need a professional reset, a gap year isn’t a “year off”, it’s a year on. Stepping away from the traditional path (📸 like these amazing J2Guides’ gap alums did) has countless benefits: ➡️ Rediscover Your “Why”: Academic burnout is real. Stepping away from the books allows you to reconnect with your actual interests, helping you return to your studies or career with a renewed sense of purpose. ➡️ Real-World Resume Building: Traveling, volunteering or interning provides skills that a classroom simply can’t teach: adaptability, communication, problem-solving and resiliency. ➡️ Financial Perspective: Taking time to work and save can help you approach your future goals with a more stable foundation and a better understanding of budgeting. ➡️ Independence: Nothing builds self-reliance faster than navigating a new city or managing your own schedule. You’ll return more confident and capable of handling whatever comes next. ➡️ Perspective: Stepping out of your bubble gives you a broader view of the world. You’ll meet people from all walks of life, which is an education in itself. Sometimes, taking a detour is the best way to find out exactly where you’re supposed to be!!! Contact us for a free brainstorming session!

In our 30 years as experts in experiential education we have not once had a student express regret taking an intentional gap year ... and in fact most (if not all) say it was the best decision they have ever made. If you are thinking about taking a gap year in 2026-2027, but just don’t know how or where to begin, it’s not too late! A great starting point would be to join us (Jane & Jason, the J2 behind J2Guides!) TONIGHT for Webinar Wednesday. This free, 30-minute gap year presentation will demystify the gap year, equip you with effective strategies, and answer your questions. The link in our Bio will take you to our Contact page, where you can register for Webinar Wednesday, send us an email, or schedule a free consultation. 📷 It’s not too late to plan a fun and productive gap year!

We’ve spent a lot of time discussing resilience in young adults and why taking an intentional gap year is so beneficial. But what does being resilient actually look like? It’s the ability to adapt to new environments, face challenges head-on, and lean into difficult experiences rather than shrinking away from them. At its core, it’s the courage to say YES: yes to the discomfort, yes to the unknown, and yes to an invitation to try something new. An intentional gap year serves as a real-world laboratory for this skill. By navigating new experiences, gappers develop a level of adaptability, confidence and curiosity that serves them long after their gap year ends. Resilience is a life skill that starts with one intentional choice! 🎓 📷 J2Guides’ gap shero Morgan - pictured here volunteering in the Peruvian Amazon - has faced her share of challenges on her gap year, from bugs to language barriers to isolation ... and yet by recruiting the right support, doubling down on her determination, and finding joy in the small moments has reached skyscraper levels of perspective, self advocacy and resilience!

Rooted in the Japanese concept of mujōkan, cherry blossoms serve as a poignant reminder of life’s impermanence. These delicate blooms - stunning in their arrival and graceful in their fall - embody the profound grace found in the inevitable cycle of life, change, and loss. This is the essence of our family’s annual Cherry Blossom Party …. And the same-day invite that gets sent to our friends and neighbors. Last night we savored this fleeting blossom moment with spontaneity, joy and gratitude. Small rituals like these bring great delight, anticipation and reward, and we are reminded every year how beloved this particular tradition is by our community.

Hello families! Please note that the J2Guides’ HQ will be closed (April 18 - 26) as we get back out in the field to feed our souls, make connections and rest up for our next busy months! What does this mean for you? We will not be scheduling calls, taking meetings or posting on social media. We will be checking and responding to email as we can. What does this mean for us? Jason is off to New Mexico to soak up the art, outdoors, and history of the southwest, while Jane returns to Costa Rica for more Spanish, yoga and conservation. It is not too late to plan your 2026-2027 gap summer, semester or year, but be sure to get on our calendars asap, or drop us an email with your questions!

For those seniors who are unclear about which college, or even if college, May 1st - National College Decision Day - comes with considerable pressure and stress. We understand. We have supported thousands of students through this crossroad of life after high school, helping them explore what they most want for their next chapter of life and learning. And let’s remember that life and learning happens in many ways, both on a college campus, and certainly off one too. That’s why sometimes asking “which” or “if” college doesn’t help get to the heart of the matter, whereas questions like these might: ❓What makes you happy? ❓How do you learn best? ❓Do you want peers? ❓How about mentors? ❓What do you need for your mental and physical health? ❓What do you need to thrive? There is no one-size-fits-all or ‘right’ answer, but there is what’s right for you. If you have a hunch that your living and learning would best be met by a well-planned gap year, then it’s time to take some steps! 📆 schedule a free consultation to explore your ideas, concerns and options; ☎️ contact us for worksheets to guide your gap year brainstorm; 🍿 check out a few amazing gapper videos: /playlist?list=PLr63_2nfHgCfSBC9MUmd6mxsj7md9rbZJ Make this decision with the time and inquiry that you deserve, and we wish you the best in graduation and beyond! 📸 On her gap year, J2Guides 2023-2024 gapper and shero @kira.czech had a sports media internship for 3 months in South Africa, and spent another 3 months working with kids in Panama. (Hi Kira! Miss you!)

We know it’s April Fools and we love a good laugh as much as anyone ... but we never joke about gap years! Spring is in the air, and we are all emerging from winter with renewed curiosity and excitement about what’s ahead. Isn’t that right high school seniors? Whether it’s developing more independence, confidence and life skills, traveling the world, learning a new language, volunteering or interning, making art, having adventures, making new friends, saving money, or something else altogether ... an intentional gap year offers you (or your potential gapper) an unparalleled opportunity to hit pause on the treadmill so that you choose the interests and skills that will best serve your next steps. The opportunities and benefits abound, and we - Jane and Jason - have 3 decades of experience and anecdotes to help you consider if a gap year is right for you. Curious? Join us TONIGHT for Webinar Wednesday, a 30-minute presentation and Q&A in which we demystify the gap year, equip you with effective strategies, and address your ideas and concerns. The link in our Bio will take you to our Contact page, where you can register for this (or a future) Webinar Wednesday, send an email, or schedule a free consultation. 📷 Did you know that Jane and Jason spent their 20s and 30s leading programs all over the world, running a national nonprofit, training field staff and developing experiential education curriculum and risk management policies?

Sounds of Spring! Change is happening! Ski to SUP! Gappers what are you up to?!