Taking the Leap: How Mimi Dyer’s Gap Year Became a New Life Abroad

When Mimi Dyer (Year 9 2017) finished Year 13 in 2021, she wasn’t entirely sure what her next step would be. A friend suggested a gap year, and with no time to apply through a programme, Mimi decided to take matters into her own hands. A quick internet search for “prep boarding schools in the UK” led her to Belhaven Hill School, a small rural co-ed boarding school on Scotland’s east coast. After a Zoom call with the headmaster, Mimi was offered a place to begin in the summer term. Within weeks, she had packed her bags and flown to the other side of the world.

“I was such a homebody before I left,” Mimi recalls. “I loved being around family and friends, but there was something so exciting about starting fresh.”

At Belhaven, Mimi’s days were filled with coaching sport, teaching music, and helping in both pre-prep and prep classrooms. There were school trips, beach days (yes, even in chilly Scotland), and countless opportunities to try new things. By the end of her gap year, the headmaster offered her a full-time position as a teaching assistant in learning support and a boarding assistant in the girls’ house.

What began as a leap of faith has now become a way of life. Mimi has lived in Scotland for nearly four years and says she “wouldn’t change it for the world.” At just 22, she has grown into a role that combines all the things she loves: coaching, teaching, and mentoring young people. She has also gained an impressive list of qualifications, including teaching assistant credentials for ages 0–19, first aid, fire warden, and the SSSC social service course for her role at the boarding house.

Looking back, Mimi credits St Margaret’s with giving her the people skills and confidence to thrive. “Being Head of the Junior School taught me how to connect with children, something that’s now at the centre of my career.”

Her advice to girls considering a gap year? “You get out of it what you put into it. Enjoy every moment and say yes to as much as you can.”