I had already started college when I discovered this program and decided to throw a Hail Mary by applying. To my surprise, 2 weeks later, I was in New Hampshire meeting the cohort and team I would have by my side for the next 9 months. To me, Baret was extremely unexpected, but it was the best decision I ever made.

To start, I got to travel the world and visit places I had always dreamt of visiting. Not only that, but I got to do it while surrounded by people, from all over the world, that I now consider my second family. I explored beautiful cultures, captured amazing memories, and grew more than I could ever have imagined.

Traveling wasn't the only thing that stood out about Baret, but I also learned so much, both bout the world and about myself. I got to discover myself, and there were so many people throughout this program who were supporting me in that journey, while I was doing the same for them.

Not only was it having my classroom be the whole world, but it was the sheer care and love that was placed into this program that made it so memorable. Based on the experiences I lived, the things I learned, the wonders I saw, and the people I met (including my girlfriend!) I can easily say that my year with Baret Scholars was the best year of my life.

It is a lot of traveling and opportunities to mature! I learned a lot in my year with Baret!! I met so many people from different countries and was able to learn so much about the world in conversations. It is definitely the best part of the program, al the friends and mentors, and the speakers in the morning program, and the touristic guides, everyone. Baret seems to attract fun and interesting people haha, and it was a great chance to get out of my comfort zone and talk to people I would usually never get close to.

Deciding to take a gap year was not easy! But when I read Baret Scholars’ book, I fell in loooooove.

As I was finishing high school, I was unsure about what was gonna be my next step. I heard about Baret scholars and decided to try.

The next thing I knew was that I had so many cool people around me in the most surreal environments: in New York City, in the beach of Rio, in the streets of Marrakech, sharing experiences, ideas, and culture.

With all the things I’ve learned, the people I met, and the life I’ve collected, it feels like this gap year was so short I can’t understand how I ever doubted it. Do it !!!

If you are reading this, is because you are looking for an aventure for your life, and guess what, this might be your best chance.

My name is Bruno and I’m from Brazil 🇧🇷, and this program literally change my life forever, and I will explain to you why.

You know, wen you truly love someone, you don’t know how to explain it, it just feels impossible, wounds won’t be enough to explain it, so imagine this feeling but not with one person, but the whole world. Baret is an invitation for you to love the world, and not because you read it on a paper, or because some one told you how grateful the world is, is because you leaved on your on skin.

I can tell you that because when I was carrying a 20 liters gallon on my back in the Amazon, caring water to my boat so my friends can have water to drink, I was not questioning my existence, I was not thinking how bad is the world and how unfair the world is, I was just doing what needed to be done. And you wanna know what, I was loving it.

I was bringing that heavy gallon on my shoulder for 2 kilometers and a half, I was doing this in the middle of the Amazon, barefoot, at the dark, attentive because have animals and dogs around as, that could attack us at any minute. You will probably wont believe me, but I was having so much fun.

I now this circumstances are not usually what people called fun, but for me, it brought me fulfillment, because I was challenging my self while taking care of the people I just meet (that nowadays I call them family). But I was not doing it alone, I was helping the workers from the boat, that was there job to bring water for us, but I decided to help even though I didn't know the circumstances.

At Baret I leaned that in the end is not about you, is not about what makes you feel happy, is not about your self, is all about human connection. I think you will agree with me that most people now a days lost this human connection, so being able to really connect with people, specially the ones that you don't know, and serve them with thin any mater that you can possible offer, that can even be a simple smile, is all you really need to fell humans again.

And I guaranty you will fill amazed by that experience, you will not fell that you belong only at your home, you fell fell that you belong in the would. And the more you take care of others, and connect to new people, some hall you will discover more about your self in this process.

The would I not at bad as the media saws, be part of this jorney and geet to your on conclusion. Dont take my word for it hahah

A lot of love, Bruno

I think ultimately, with gap year programs in general, it comes down to what you make of it. For that reason, I would recommend thinking about what is most important to you and what soft skills and hard skills you want to acquire. For me, it was connecting with inspiring peers that really helped me step outside my comfort zone and grow, but for you, it might be something else.

The past year has been a truly unique experience for me, as it has brought together many people from all over the world. First of all, we were able to form deep friendships within our community with people who may live on the other side of the world. Secondly, during our morning program, we were able to talk to experts from various fields who kindly shared their knowledge with us. All you had to do was take the initiative and start asking questions. Thirdly, you had the opportunity to strike up conversations with people you met in bars or cafés and talk about all kinds of things. I came into contact with many new ideas and perspectives. For me, it was the beginning of a journey that leads to understanding the different needs and challenges that people in other parts of the world face and recognizing how everything is connected.

Being part of the very first Baret Scholars cohort was truly life-changing. Traveling across seven regions of the world with such an incredible group was much more than tourism—it was a constant journey of cultural, personal, and intellectual growth.

From the hotels to every single meal, everything exceeded my expectations: high quality, thoughtful, and always with a sense of care and respect for each place we visited. Living in community with curious, driven people who wanted to explore and make an impact was simply invaluable.

What stood out the most for me was being able to develop my own projects—ideas that were born in each city and transformed through mentorship, inspiring conversations, and collaboration with the community. I was able to raise funds with the support of the entire community

My Baret journey has been truly transformative. Never in my wildest dreams did I imagine travelling to more than a dozen countries in less than a year, taking over 30+ flights, and, more importantly, learning directly from inspiring leaders and peers along the way. This experience has revealed a deeper sense of purpose and possibility within me; I returned not as the same Sangychetty, but as someone more confident, curious, and globally minded. Beyond travel, the program offered structured learning in the mornings and self-directed exploration in the afternoons, which allowed me to connect academic ideas to real-world settings. Whether it was learning about finance on Wall Street or seeing grassroots social enterprises in Kenya, every moment became a classroom.

Equally impactful was the community. Living, learning, and travelling with such a diverse cohort taught me the value of collaboration, empathy, and cultural fluency. I forged friendships that feel like family and mentors who continue to guide my personal and professional journey.

My biggest takeaway is the power of a global mindset: understanding how diverse communities face challenges, create solutions, and uplift one another. This has strengthened my commitment to use my skills and education to drive impact worldwide.

For anyone considering a similar experience, my advice is: embrace it fully. Stay curious, be open to unexpected opportunities, make time for reflection, and cherish the friendships you form along the way. The resources, exposure, and support you receive can help you not only discover the world but also discover yourself.

This year has been life-changing. No book could have taught me what I learned by living it. If you get the chance to embark on such a journey, don’t hesitate. It truly can be your “best year yet.”

Hello! I was a student in class of '25, the first cohort of the program and I was impressed by the quality of it. We stayed at the best hotels in all the "main" towns of the world, we got to connect with some of the best people in their fields and most importantly I got to relax, but also open an NGO that is directly changing people's lives, while being "on the road". They give you a lot of support with everything. I had an amazing counselor for "my life" and "my career", I had an amazing counselor for my STEM passion and I got my science poster reviewed and I also developed deep relationships with some of the staff in the program. This is, by far, the best start that you could get in your career and in your life. Your CV becomes incredibly good, you develop a better cultural sensitivity and can work with basically anyone, you understand how the world works, you relax, but you also get to apply at the top universities or open your own initiative/business. The morning programs are "a gate to excellence" and the afternoon options are a privilege given to you to deepen your knowledge in a field. I got to learn economy from Wall Street investors and exercise my Chinese skills directly with native speakers. I genuinely loved this program and I hope more people get to enjoy it <3