The 13 Pinecrest seniors who will be giving a year of volunteer service in the RC Mission Corps.

June 8, 2010. Cumming, Georgia. This year, 13 out of Pinecrest Academy’s  53 graduates will defer their college acceptance for one year and volunteer to serve the Church all over the world in the Regnum Christi Mission Corps.

Formerly known as the coworker program, the RC Mission Corps gives youth the opportunity to volunteer one to three years of full-time service in Regnum Christi apostolates while living alongside Legionary priests or consecrated women.

Since Pinecrest’s first senior class in 2007, graduates have served in Spain, Ireland, and all over the United States.

The concept of taking a year off before college is widely increasing in popularity and has become generally known as a “Gap Year.”  Gap Year growth is accelerating across all age groups in the UK, Australia, New Zealand and Canada. The US is expected to witness a boom in the coming years as the small percentage of those who have passports starts to rise. In keeping with the trend, colleges are recognizing the value of this maturing time for young men and women and are willing to defer the student’s entry to their institution until the year is completed.

Pinecrest Academy students offer this year in service to the Church as a way of “giving back” for all they have received.

Reflecting on her decision, senior Samantha Swygman said, “First of all, I am going to go because God asked me to, but I also am aware of how much I have been given and would like to give something back now, so that someone else might be better equipped to fulfill their own God-given potential.” 

Fellow classmate Mary Frain said, “How could I not give God one year of my life after everything He has given me? It was kind of something that was obvious for me to do. I never thought twice about it. To me, my volunteer year is going to be an act of thanksgiving for all He has blessed me with, and I’m going to try to live every moment for Him.”

Learn more about the Regnum Christi Mission Corps at this link.