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Oonagh Cavanagh, American University Gap student
Tell us about yourself.
I grew up in a small town in Vermont. I love to run, hike, camp, ski, and do basically anything outdoors. I graduated a semester early from high school, and in my semester off, I chose to come to AU for the Gap Program.

Hometown
Underhill, VT

High School
Mount Mansfield Union High School

What is your passion?
I am very passionate about the environment and protecting it. I spend a lot of time outdoors and spending time in nature was a large part of my childhood. I am especially passionate about the environment in my home state of Vermont. I hope I can help protect Vermont's Green Mountains, Maple trees, and Lake Champlain.

Why did you choose to attend the AU Gap program?
I was ready for a change of pace. I am used to small town life and I was ready to experience life in a city, and my interest in politics really brought me here initially. I really love that DC has so much to offer. You can find an organization or event in DC for just about every interest you can think of.

Where was your Gap Internship?
I interned at the Earth Day Network. The NGO advocates for environmental protection through various campaigns and programs. I loved that through my internship I had the opportunity to do a variety of projects. I wrote blog posts, worked on climate literacy programs for schools, and handled outreach to South America for Earth Day. We also put on a rally on the National Mall for Earth Day. Around 300,000 people showed up to the event and we had many guest speakers and musicians celebrating Earth Day with us.

Where are you going after Gap?
I am attending AU as a freshman this year! I am majoring in Political Science.

Favorite experience while in the AU Gap Program?
My favorite experience was visiting the FBI Academy in Quantico, Virginia. This was really special because they do not allow many visitors to the Academy. We were also given a very in-depth tour. The Academy has a mock town that they practice scenarios in, and we were able to walk through the town and explore some of the mock houses. It was a really interesting and unique experience.

Describe your AU Gap experience in one word or phrase.
An in-depth look at DC.