OW shares gap year experience in Japan

Pupils making plans for life after school were given a brilliant opportunity to explore gap year options this week, when former Head of School Romilly Middlemiss (OW 2024) popped into Cowley Place to tell us about her exciting year out in Japan.

Seeking a break before embarking on her degree in Structural and Architectural Engineering at Bath University, Romilly applied to Project Trust, which provides international volunteering opportunities for young people. After raising the c.£7,500 needed to fund her place, she was fortunate to be offered an opportunity in Japan, where she lived for almost a year, teaching English to people aged 3 to 86.

During a fantastic gap year Romilly learned to speak Japanese and immersed herself in the local culture – sharing a lovely video clip of herself performing a traditional dance, in Kimono, at a special festival. More though, she explained how the experience had built her confidence, independence and resilience – setting her up well for the transition to university and giving her impressive experiences to include on her CV.

It was great to hear Romilly’s experience through Project Trust had been so positive, and her personal insights were very useful for pupils considering a gap year after school. We look forward to hearing how Romilly’s career unfolds after Bath and have no doubt she will put everything she learned during her year out to good use.