Mind the Gap
South’s Marcus Scudiero details diving into his gap year head first… on a yacht.
By this time of year, most seniors are planning the rest of their lives. Most have a solid idea of where they plan on going to college this fall, and many even have a strong idea of the career path that they want to take. Marcus Scudiero, senior, also has a vivid image of the near future, but it looks much different than what one may expect.
“I’m taking a gap year… I’m going to be working as a deckhand on a super yacht… I’m gonna work for a company on one boat. I’ll most likely be going to the Mediterranean for six to eight months,” Scudiero said. “Basically people rent it. If they want to go to Greece, then we’ll take the ship to Greece for a week.”
While spending his year off on a yacht may seem like a dream, it’s more than meets the eye.
“As a deckhand I’ll be responsible for all of the outside work on the boat. In the morning and at night, when cleaning, I’ll be detailing the outside… I maneuver all of the jet skis, water jet packs… tugboats, and serving.”
Scudiero has identified many benefits to taking a year off to work for the yacht company.
“The reason I decided to take this yacht expedition is because I’ll be making money – and it’s pretty good money – and I can put it towards my college education. But I also get to travel the world, which I’ve always wanted to do… The older I get, college won’t go away, but the older I get, this might go away.”
After his gap year has elapsed, what’s next in store for Scudiero? Part of this gap year is making that decision.
“I think it is gonna be some time to see what I wanna do. I’ve been interested in nautical jobs before actually.”
He has also noted that he is deciding between going to business school (at the University of Kansas or University of Kentucky) or design school (at Iowa State or the University of Kentucky).
“I do want to get a business degree, because you can do millions of things with it. But at the same time, I would like to get a design degree in either merchandising or basic design… Merchandising is basically the psychology of what’s gonna attract the human eye to buy more product.”
As a second semester senior with this life plan ahead of him, one may assume Scudiero is feeling more comfortable than the next person. He says, however, that’s not necessarily the case.
“If I’m going to be honest, I’m terrified. It’s crazy how fast high school has gone by. It seems like just yesterday I was here for freshman orientation… It’s kind of bittersweet.”
Despite certain obstacles, Scudiero has chosen a different path, and hopefully along the way, he’ll mind the gap. And eventually return to Kansas City with a fresh perspective.