Gap Semester as a Chef’s Right Hand

TUESDAY, July 14, 2026
Jade Kwitkiwski

Kyla Frey, Gap SITC ‘23 & UC Davis ‘28. Photo from Kyla Frey

For 8 years, Semester in the City (SITC) welcomed college students from across the country to partake in hands-on internships, social impact courses and live with a cohort community in Boston. Until fall 2024, when three students led the way as the inaugural cohort of gap students: either joining straight from high school or as a nontraditional pause away from college.

Kyla Frey, a curious class of 2023 graduate from Brookline High School, opted to take a gap year to prevent rushing into school “without a clear sense of direction.” When she heard about Semester in the City through her dad, she learned about the previous gap fellows & felt encouraged to take her own leap. 

“I really liked the social impact focus of the program, and that seemed really aligned with my career goals, and what I wanted to do after college, even though I’m still trying to figure it out. I was pretty interested in the social impact sector, and just wanted to gain more experience too,” Kyla said. 

Four white pillars, soft teal walls and a clock tower marked Kyla’s new workplace at the Allston Brighton Food Pantry (ABFP) within Brighton Allston Congressional Church. She was familiar with food pantries from high school, occasionally volunteering at the Brookline Food Pantry, but the environment here was distinctly unique.

Her mentor, Pamela Cannon, known affectionately as “Chef Pam,”, was one of the only full-time employees at the pantry, so Kyla soon became her right hand as Food Pantry and Project Greenhouse Fellow.

Kyla assisted with weekly meals, grocery distribution, volunteer groups and everyday operations. It wasn’t uncommon for large groups of volunteers to arrive from local colleges, like Boston University or Boston College, via sports teams or clubs, for a day of volunteering. Working alongside people from all walks of life simply became the norm for Kyla. 

But when she wasn’t working at the pantry, she balanced classes, new friendships and life on her own for the first time. Many of the fellows had already started college, and were here after at least a year or two of undergrad. Their wisdom and experiences helped guide her through the semester and prepared her for college post-SITC.

“It was basically my first semester of college,” Kyla said, “and it definitely helped prepare me for school a lot.”

Across the country in Northern California, on a campus cradled by lush farmlands, sits University of California Davis: Kyla’s new home. Today, she’s an incoming junior double-majoring in anthropology and human development. For her, it’s “just a really neat place to be,” with “nice people” and “nice weather.” Next semester, she’ll study abroad in Chile and Argentina. She’s curious about a future career in public health. 

She’s found her place on campus, but doesn’t regret taking a gap year. On the contrary, Kyla thinks her semester was essential to helping her build a sense of purpose. 

“I didn't want an experience that was just like being in a classroom. I liked the fact that it was something different. It helped me clarify and figure out career goals and also personal goals, so I think a gap year was really beneficial for me,” Kyla said. 

After Kyla’s first summer at UC Davis, she came back to volunteer at ABFP alongside Chef Pam, whom she formed a close bond with during her internship. The two still keep in touch today. 

“I had a great mentor, and getting to learn from her was really an unexpected side of my internship. Going into it, I didn't expect that, but that was something that by the end of it, was one of the best parts,” Kyla said.