Nico Gabbi's Gap Year

I would be very grateful if you could help fund my Gap Year in Europe, starting in September, before I attend the dual-degree program (Newhouse School of Communications & Whitman School of Business) at Syracuse University in the Fall, 2020.



I'm looking for your support to help fund my Gap Year so that I can accomplish three major things in Europe (Italy):

1) Participate in a language-intensive immersion program for 90 days that will allow me to achieve fluency in Italian;
2) Get valuable work experience in Rome for 120 days so I can have the opportunity to practice my Italian in a professional setting and benefit from the learning lessons of an office environment when I go to school.
3) Travel and work in different areas of Europe for the final 90 days so I have the opportunity to experience other cultures, make new friendships and start learning some additional Latin-based languages (like French or Spanish). 

There is a lot of evidence that I have found that Gap Years are really valuable, and with your help, I'm looking forward to making the most out of mine before I leave for Syracuse.  Plus it is super important to me to honor my Dad and grandfather by embracing my Italian heritage fully.



Here is a breakdown of why I'm raising for $10,000 to fund my experience:

Language Program Budget
I have narrowed it down to three programs in Italy.  (Tuscany, Oceanside, or Mountains ).   All of them offer 4-5 hours per day of intensive language instruction.  Then you do afternoon field trips to practice.  The best thing is that you also get to live with an Italian family.  

AVERAGE COST (instruction, room, and board): $8,000



Lodging Budget
My Dad was able to help me secure free lodging while I'm working in Rome,   I plan on using www.workaway.info for my other jobs in Europe during the latter part of my Gap Year and only select those where room and board are included.  This way I won't have any lodging expenses other than those included in the program and those when I take weekend trips to visit different sites. 

Travel Budget
The approximate cost of air travel to get to Italy is $1,200.  I also expect to have about $800 in incidental travel expenses.

I expect that all of my other expenses will be covered with the money I make while working over in Europe.  I'm also hoping to be able to save a little to contribute toward my Syracuse tuition.

Thanks in advance for the support!  The gift of a Gap Year experience is the best gift I could ever wish for and it's something I know will last me a lifetime!

-Nico