Rocco and I came to separate but similar conclusions about taking a Gap Year. I had concerns about whether or not he was ready to take on the challenges of living on his own, in addition to, the academic challenges of college. Rocco was feeling academically exhausted by his senior year and was looking for a break before heading off to college. We learned about Dynamy at a Gap Year Fair and were instantly drawn to the concept for several reasons. Initially, we were excited about the program because, geographically, it took place across the street from where Rocco would eventually be going to college and we both thought that getting familiar with the new city would be a plus. However, the more we found out about the program, we realized that it was tailor made for our goals of independent living, transition to college level courses, mentoring, work experience, community service and self-esteem building.

I saw a change in Rocco from the time he came back from his outdoor adventure challenge. He felt very proud of his physical accomplishments during those weeks away and when he faced challenges in the Dynamy program, he would often remind himself that if he could climb 3 mountains in one day, he could do anything! The self-confidence he gained, continued to be fostered by the weekly advising which allowed him the time to reflect on his performance in his internships and in his living situation. It gave him a sense of purpose, responsibility and motivation that I hadn’t seen previously and has endured throughout college.

Most definitely! For one, it changed Rocco from a passive-“let’s see what life is going to do to me today” to an active participant in creating his own life. He gained a layer of self-confidence that wasn’t previously accessible to him in high school or living in his childhood home.
Secondly, he realized that motivation is only something that can come from within and that what you bring to the table can have a huge impact on daily experiences. This new perspective has served him well in college, and in life, in general.

As a pediatrician, I’ve been in a position over the years to see adolescents go off to college before they are truly ready and witnessed some costly mistakes, damaged self-esteem and disappointment amongst families. Failure at a young age can be devastating so I would recommend that if you have reasonable doubts about your child’s ability to handle the amount of stress that living independently can create on top of any academic challenges, strongly consider a gap year. Make a list of your goals, your child’s goals and compare them with the Dynamy program. I can’t imagine you could find a better match than at Dynamy. Visit with the staff and ask those hard questions (like what happens if your child doesn’t get up and go to his internship or if there is underage drinking), so you’ll know how well thought out this program is and how dedicated the staff is to helping each individual become successful. Talk to parents and students who have been through the program and find out what did and didn’t work for them.

I think my fears changed over the course of the first month. First, I was scared he wouldn’t survive the outdoor challenge, would want to quit, or would get injured. Once he returned to Worcester, filthy, tired but proud, I worried about how he would survive living, cooking and cleaning on his own. Everything quickly fell into place for Rocco and he felt comfortable in his new apartment with his friends. After that first month, all my fears were gone as I saw him mature and rise to each new challenge.

We felt so fortunate to stumble upon a unique program that allowed our daughter to have a safe living- away-from-home experience, and an opportunity to “try out” different internships in the course of an academic year as she had no real idea of what she wanted to do, even after two years at a community college.

Our daughter gained more self-confidence and self-awareness through her living experiences AND the weekly meetings with her Advisor, Andrew, along with feedback from her peers and staff at Dynamy.

The Dynamy experience has definitely shaped our daughter’s view of herself and what she is capable of, even in terms of dealing with difficult situations in the work environment, having more ideas of what it costs to support herself in an apartment, and higher aspirations for life’s work, including mini-steps to get there.

This unique program addresses some of the most critical tasks of the transition from high school student living at home to independent living with all of the issues of roommates, navigating work environments, budgeting and planning for healthy recreation/community involvement…..all while the student is being mentored weekly by someone other than you, the parent! It is a win-win situation all around!

We were nervous about our daughter being clear across country in a new climate, new city and without her good friends to “process” daily life. She did absolutely fine and came out after the year even stronger! Her Advisor and peers at Dynamy were great supports.

My twin sons, Jon & Alex were surprisingly insightful and articulate as to their respective reasons for rejecting a traditional college experience after high school graduation; less so with regard to their vision for an alternative plan. The boys were less than enthusiastic when I ‘suggested’ we attend a gap-year fair in NYC. In response to a program participant’s effusive query “Who wants to go to the outback of Australia?”, my children wholeheartedly offered to send me as they headed for the door. Thankfully, we met Kathy Cheng moments later; her quiet confidence and genuine interest helped us understand Dynamy’s unique ability to foster personal growth, independent life skills and diverse opportunities for professional development within a structured and supportive framework. Dynamy’s first lesson: opening your mind to new possibilities may provide a new possibility!

The overall personal growth that resulted from the Dynamy experience continues to be evident in these few months since the end of the program for both of my sons. They came away with a greater level of self-assurance and overall confidence in their abilities to problem-solve, self-advocate, and negotiate the vagaries of life in both a personal and professional setting. The realization that both personal and business relationships can sometimes be complicated requiring hard work on the part of all concerned and that in response to unkind or hurtful treatment by another person, the challenging but appropriate response may be that of civility, respect and possibly concern were hard but valuable experiences.

I’m not sure whether Dynamy provided more “ah-ha” moments for me or my children as they bubbled up early and often throughout the program. Throughout their lives, I have shared with my children that the lesson learned when experiencing success is valuable, but the most important lessons are often the result of something going wrong and what you choose to do next. At Parent Orientation, we were advised that the unthinkable prospect of a child being ‘fired’ from an unpaid internship is actually not unthinkable. Shortly after hearing and dismissing that possibility as unthinkable, it happened to one of my sons. As I was kept advised of his journey through rejection, uncertainty and new beginning(s), he learned lessons about personal responsibility, integrity, choice and the importance and skills around accessing support and guidance that he carries with him today. I shared in this “ah-ha” moment as I struggled with the realization that I had no role in ‘fixing’ this situation and if there was any rescuing to be done, he would have to rescue himself. Probably a bigger lesson for me than my child!

Without question, the internship year had an enormous impact on shaping both of my sons in a myriad of aspects. In some ways, they both now have a greater understanding that they actually own their choices and the resulting path. Being present to that reality sometimes results in being a bit more anxious or overwhelmed than in the past as they evaluate options or decisions. They both take great pains to gather information and get input as part of the decision-making process. Dynamy’s internships gave both boys clarity regarding careers and environments that don’t fit and insight into their passions and the associated career possibilities. As they embark on their respective paths, they do so with a healthy mix of confidence, trepidation and the understanding that creating a life you love requires a lot of time, a ton of hard work and can be a bit scary as you go outside of your comfort zone.

Generations of my family, myself included, held the unwavering expectation that a successful career and happy life was the result of the uninterrupted, sequential educational foundation of high school, college, graduate school, and post-graduate school; Plan A was right for me, my husband and a number of our children. Although I wholeheartedly believed that embarking on a traditional college program right out of high school was not right for my sons, I initially considered Dynamy to be a Plan B supporting growth and the eventual achievement of Plan A.

As I reflect over the past year, I realize that Dynamy was Plan A for my sons. As we sat in the Parent Orientation with about 80 pretty accomplished, goal-oriented, caring parents, many of us shared the same quandary with regard to our smart, interesting, creative kids who just would not, could not or should not walk the exact path as their parents, siblings or friends with regard to college and quite possibly, other life choices. Dynamy’s value proposition is so unique because the totality of the experience is about personal empowerment and accountability. The skills, strategies, expectations and commitments that are introduced, developed and practiced throughout are the underpinnings of creating a self-directed, purposeful young adult.

All of the ‘what ifs’ that, as it turned out, were the same concerns most parents naturally shared. What if they use their stipend for concert tickets instead of food and transportation? What if they get lost on the bus? What if they chose to walk home from an event at 3am? What if they get a tattoo? Suffice it to say, I’m sure my sons did all of those things and more. True to their word, the Dynamy staff was proactive and involved when their support was needed and available and responsive to my children and me as appropriate.

In truth, I was most nervous about my ability to trust my kids to the process, quietly observe and let them figure things out. I had a few occasions where being a supportive listener teetered on the edge of intervening, but worked diligently to step away from that edge. Making mistakes is part of life, so where better than the safety and support of Dynamy. Their hard-earned and continued willingness and comfort with taking responsibility to resolve tough situations is a sign of their enormous growth. My growth is a bit less dramatic as I refer to my list of Dynamy’s Best Parent Practices on a daily basis!