Voices Project: Kevin Hermann on connecting with being alive

When I first met Kevin he appeared as a volunteer at the Gap Year Association annual conference in Boston. From the first moment I was impressed by his peaceful center, joyful effervescence, and deeply compassionate way of walking through the world and interacting with other humans. As the mother of four teenagers, at the time, one of whom was preparing for a Gap Year and another who had recently finished her first major trip abroad, he gave me hope. In him I saw a reflection of everything I hoped that my young people would absorb from the experiences they were walking through at that time.

Kevin is an excellent example of the ways in which a smart, motivated, young person who is figuring it out as he goes can reap massive reward from a Gap Year. He describes his Gap Year as “good difficult” and as a formational stage in setting himself up for personal and professional success and just made him a “better human being.”

He inspires me continually, perhaps you’ll feel the same. -Ethan Knight, Executive Director, Gap Year Association