President Barack Obama’s daughter, Malia, was accepted to the extremely prestigious Harvard University for the fall semester of 2016, however she has decided to take a gap year.

When the news broke of Malia’s decision, skepticism ran throughout the press. Claiming that a gap year is a “kid’s yearlong invitation to slack off,” the New York Post is clearly disgusted by the thought of a gap year. The Post boasts that a gap year is for elite children who are too stressed out to go right to college, and need a full year to “relax” and “hang around the house in jammies.”

In reality, Malia is most likely taking a gap year to await the end of her father’s term in presidency. For that, average Americans cannot blame her; who would want to embark on the experimental, independent journey of college with the secret service by their side?

Malia may be taking this year to expand her studies, travel abroad, work in charity, or pursue an art. The Post fails to examine the positives to a gap year, for which there are a plethora. A gap year can be very successful in promoting personal growth when the student taking one is focused on his or her goals, which may include community service, specialized study, travel, or a combination of all three, according to NPR.  

“Gap years can be beneficial for a very specific kind of student. It is definitely a different track to follow, but I think that makes it interesting and exciting, and I definitely support those who decide to take one,” said WHHS senior Kate Barone.

I can certainly understand Malia’s decision since I will be taking a gap year in the coming fall as well. Although I was accepted to Boston University to study International Relations, I have decided to take a year to pursue dance while working and living at home. The sound of college excites me, and I certainly cannot wait to leave the suburbia of Wayne, NJ. However I realized that college is something that I can take advantage of later in life, while dance is something I need to act on now. After having an injury to my ankle, I was not able to attend college dance major auditions last fall, and so I decided on heading off to Boston University. I realized that I was settling. I am only 18, and now is definitely not the time to settle. Now is the time to take risks, be independent, and push myself towards the future I truly desire. And so, I will be training to audition as a dance major this coming fall, and taking advantage of the many opportunities of a gap year.