7 questions with an IFA gap year counselor

Behind every student who chooses to spend time abroad, there’s always someone helping them turn that dream into reality. For many students coming to Italy, that person is Annetta, one of our gap year counselors here at Italianforawhile.

Having experienced her own year abroad in the United States, she knows what it means to leave home, adapt to a new culture, and discover yourself in the process. And now, she helps students do the same, guiding them from their first call to the moment they finally arrive in Italy.

In this short Q&A, we asked Annetta to share a bit about her journey, her work, and what makes a gap experience so transformative.

1. What is your job at Italianforawhile?

I’m a gap year counselor. My role is to guide students through the entire process of coming to Italy. We start from the very beginning: exploring destinations, looking at different program lengths, and figuring out what each student wants out of the experience. Then we schedule a call where we talk about their goals, their interests, and all the practical details like accommodation and visas. From there, I help them build their program step by step until everything is confirmed and ready for their arrival. Basically, I’m there from the first idea all the way to the moment they actually land in Italy.

2. Did you also do a gap year? Where?

Yes! I actually spent my fourth year of high school in the United States, in a town called Whitefish Bay in Wisconsin. I left during the summer of my third year, and it was my first big experience living abroad on my own.

3. What was it like to leave home and start a new life abroad?

It was exciting, but also really challenging at first. Everything in America was different from what I was used to: the lifestyle, the energy of my American family, even the way people interacted. Sometimes it all felt overwhelming. And even though I had studied English, speaking it fluently every day was another story! It took me a few months to feel comfortable with the new language. 

I decided to almost completely disconnect from my Italian life (except for the messages with my family of course) so I could fully live my new one without feeling too homesick. The first time I dreamed in English, I realized I really had left my Italian life behind and adapted to the American one!

4. What do you think motivates most students to take a gap year?

For most students, just as it was for me, it starts with that simple desire to move, to see something new, to challenge themselves, and to discover who they really are. You don’t always need a specific reason or plan; it’s more about following that feeling of curiosity and stepping into something new. 

5. What do you enjoy the most about working with students from all over the world?

One of the best parts of my job is talking to students from all over the world. In our first call, we talk about their goals, what they’re studying, and what they want to get out of this experience. Then, months later, seeing those same students finally arrive in Italy (living what we talked about, exploring, traveling, learning Italian) it’s incredibly rewarding. Watching that whole journey unfold is what I love the most.

6. What’s something you wish every student knew before starting their journey?

It’s not just about what you do during your experience, but about what those moments leave you with. Every challenge, every new situation gives you something valuable. If you feel that desire to move or change, follow it. It’s by pushing yourself that you really start to understand who you are and what you’re capable of.

7. Do you think a gap experience really ends?

No, I don’t think it ever truly ends. It just changes form. A gap experience stays with you, it keeps shaping you even after you return home. It’s a kind of transformation that becomes part of who you are.