On Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Maryland Governor, Wes Moore, proposed a gap service year for graduating students. This year would give students the opportunity to work in their communities on a broad range of projects. Moore stated on August 25th, 2022, “We are going to be the state that’s going to bring a service-year option for every single high-school graduate.” Designed to provide job training and membership, the SERVE Act, an acronym meaning Serving Every Region through Vocational Exploration, would prepare graduates for the future by providing an option where they can work for community organizations and nonprofit groups.

From student service-learning hours to volunteering, the idea of mandatory student service while in high school isn’t exactly new, but it does stand to benefit a lot of people. The service would not only support the community, but also the student. Not only would the year bring youth from diverse racial and economic backgrounds together for a common good, according to goingivy.com, “Community service is key to a well-rounded college application (…) Not only does community service show you care about helping others, it also builds skills, shows your passion, and can even provide networking opportunities.” While compulsory military service is preferred by many, students taking a gap year would be paid $15,000 and be eligible for a $6,000 college scholarship after helping with a variety of needs in urban neighborhoods and rural areas. In regard to the SERVE Act, Moore stated, ““These future leaders can work on the environment or serving older adults — it is their choice, but it helps address the college affordability crisis. I believe in experiential learning, and this will create a pipeline into the workplace.”

As far as being beneficial, not only would a gap year benefit the student academically, but with structure, a gap year can help students develop a better understanding of themselves and others, gain skills, and gain beneficial work experience that not only looks good on a college application but also to future employers down the line.