Meet Compass: Blane Gill

Name: Blane Gill

Age: 19

Hometown: Onalaska, TX

High School:  Onalaska HS

One Interesting Fact about Me: I’m a multi-instrumentalist and a songwriter. I can play drums, guitar, piano, and mandolin. My favorite genre is folk music, and I enjoy mixing other styles together to make unique musical sounds.

Why did you sign-up for Compass? I signed up for Compass for a few reasons: direction, experience, community, and spiritual growth. I want to learn more about the Bible and its history, and grow as a person through the experiences I will have through the program. While I do not expect to have a revelation telling me what to do with my whole life, I do want to have a strong spiritual grounding in all that I do in my life, and I think these 9 months will allow me to grow in that aspect.

This time next year what do you want to say about your Gap Year Experience?I want to be able to say that I’ve grown as a Christian, and that I’ve developed good rhythms, practices, and habits through the program. I’ll want to say that my experiences throughout this program has shaped my life to be more like Christ, and that I have gotten to see first-hand the ways that God has worked in the world thousands of years ago as well as the present day.

What would you say to someone who was thinking about taking a Gap Year? I would say that it is a worthwhile decision, and it can be a very enriching experience in one’s life. A program like this is for growth and learning more about yourself.  A Gap year will allow the space for your ideas to take more shape rather than jumping head first into college or wherever you would want to go to further your education formally. I think that taking the time to be involved in a gap year is necessary for reflection, planning, and gaining wisdom, and it provides a smoother transition into the next phase of your life.