Choosing to do Vanguard Gap Year is the best decision I have ever made. 

I visited Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore for a six-night camping trip, traveled to the Dominican Republic for a 12-day outreach at a special education school, and went to Memphis, Tennessee, to serve in an urban setting. I had the opportunity to explore and dig into some of life’s big questions with incredible Wheaton faculty, and received work experience at HoneyRock as a receptionist in the front office, as kitchen staff in Chrouser Dining Hall, and as a barn assistant. 

Each month, a group of Wheaton faculty spent a long weekend with us and entered into our community. We explored questions including, “What is our calling in light of the Great Commission?,” “What does it mean to be human?,” and “What is truth?” 

In each of these seminars we dove into God’s Word, as well as each professor’s subject matter, to search for answers. Many departments were represented, including biblical and theological studies, philosophy, English writing, and physics. Our seminars were an incredible introduction to college-level thinking and questioning. Vanguard prepared me with the rest and reflection I needed to thrive during my first year as a student at Wheaton! 

Sarah Lambert ’20 participated in Vanguard’s inaugural year from 2015-16, and is now a first-year student at Wheaton College.