What inspired you to join the team at ActionQuest Summer Adventure Programs?
I was a student with ActionQuest’s Rescue program in the British Virgin Islands when I was 15 years old. It was my first time at a summer program away from home and for the first night I was really homesick. From the second day forward I settled in, made great friends, and my mind was blown with how incredible everything was. It was the coolest thing I have ever done! By the end of the trip I made it my goal to work for ActionQuest.
Can you tell us about your role as the Program Manager and Enrollment Advisor?
I have the best job in the world! During the summer months I teach sailing, scuba diving, and a ton of watersports to diverse groups of teenagers while living aboard 50 foot sailing yachts. For the rest of the year we design custom programs for groups, make program improvements, and help students find the best program for their needs. What more could you ask for?
What challenges do you face in your current role and how do you overcome them?
Living with 12 teenagers full-time while running a sailboat is exhausting, but it is so rewarding! We have a pretty large fleet of boats in the British Virgin Islands during the summer, up to 17 boats with intersecting itineraries at any time. With that many boats, programs, and students you never know what challenge each day will bring. I love the hands-on nature of the job and coming up with solutions to each issue whether it be equipment, logistical, environmental, or more interpersonal.
How do you work towards providing an incredible experiential education program for students?
It is the little things that make the biggest difference. We’re a sailing and diving training organization and we do a great job with both, but what really sets us apart is the tight knit relationships with our students. Finding out what is important to each student and igniting their passion, working with them to overcome challenges, or meet goals that they have set for themselves is my favorite part. The extra little effort and attention to detail changes their experience from good to great.
What makes you proud of the work that you do?
The transformation you see in the students! It’s not an everyday event to step foot on a boat with 11 strangers knowing that you’re going to work, and live with them for 21 days. It pushes everyone to fine-tune their communication, teamwork, and interpersonal skills, and as a result you develop such close, lifelong friendships in a short period of time. It’s the impact we have, mostly outside of the diving and sailing, that I am most proud of.
How do you integrate your skipper and PADI Instructor skills and lessons into your work with ActionQuest Summer Adventure Programs?
This is an easy question! Everyday I use my professional qualifications in one way or another, either sailing, diving, or a bit of both. I love introducing new students into the worlds of sailing and diving.
What does meaningful travel mean to you?
Be aware of why you are traveling in the first place. If you want everything to be like it is at home, why travel?
Why is important to travel and experience different cultures?
The world is a BIG place and normally we only experience a TINY part of it. Beyond just the places we go and people we meet in country, our staff and student body is international and has such a varied background. Some of the most enlightening experiences for me have been in familiar locations with diverse crew members. Seeing the similarities and celebrating the differences between all of us can be eye-opening.
What makes ActionQuest Summer Adventure Programs unique?
We’re really unique in that the students are actually running the program and playing a hands-on role in their experience. Whether they are on the helm of a big sailboat for the first time or in the galley alongside the staff preparing dinner, our students take control of their program and learn a ton of new skills outside of what they imagined.
Are there any projects you or the ActionQuest Summer Adventure Programs is developing that you would like to share?
Absolutely! Our college level program, Sea|mester, is in the process of building a brand new 112 foot schooner called Vela that will sail around the world! It’s really amazing to see the progress each day and we’re excited to add another sailing yacht alongside our current Sea|mester fleet of Argo and Ocean Star.
