What led your path to joining the team at ActionQuest (AQ)?
My background in marine science and communications made AQ a great fit. I came to the program as a Marine Science Educator in 2015 when I co-led a program in Ecuador. Since that first summer, I’ve been determined to continue working to inspire the next generation to care about the environment and to find themselves in the service of other communities around the world.
Standing atop the Quilotoa crater in Ecuador -12,841 ft. above sea level
How do your passions for adventure and exploration influence the work you do daily?
I’ve always been the adventurous one in my family, but I remember my parents exposing me to outdoor experiences and allowing me to explore my interests at an early age. I believe that getting the next generation interested in the outdoors and being adventurous begins by facilitating safe, meaningful experiences while simultaneously allowing them to discover things on their own.
In my own work, I seek to replicate for my students the experiences, feelings, and emotions I was fortunate to have as a child because they were absolutely formative to how I view the world and the passions I have found as an adult.
Describe a typical week at work for you.
I’m fortunate to have the sort of job where I have the freedom to pursue projects of my choosing and build the community around our brands. In any given week, I could be writing blogs about interesting developments in the world of marine science, creating content for our latest construction project on a 112 foot stay sail schooner called S/Y Vela, or chatting on the phone with parents about the opportunities we offer each summer. My job basically boils down to sharing the incredible experiences we have each summer with the next generation of adventurers and explorers.
Shaun departing for his first program with ActionQuest in 2015
How do you work to broaden your own horizons as well as the horizons of your students?
The great part about working with ActionQuest is that we offer a variety of programs around the world for a variety of interests and service needs. As such, I have the option of being an expedition leader on any of our programs and continually broadening my own horizons. I never pretend to have all the answers as a Program Manager, but rather keep my mind open to experiencing different cultures and trying to understand the issues that communities face around the globe. In doing so, I feel that I am growing as a person while the students are growing.
Creating a culture of curiosity and empathy begins with having an open mind to experiencing other countries, communities, and cultures.
What qualities make the ideal ActionQuest participant?
ActionQuest students should be adventurous, curious, and engaged. We have a saying at AQ, “There are no passengers on our vessels, only crew members.” By this we mean that our programs are designed to be hands-on at their core. Every day will find you learning a new set of skills and participating in the daily jobs that come with living aboard a sailing vessel. From learning to raise the sails and helm the boat to cleaning the galley and cooking the meals, our students come away from the program with an entirely new perspective and new set of skills.
Why should students choose ActionQuest over other program providers?
I truly think that ActionQuest is a unique program in a sea of summer adventure programs. I realize that every program claims to be unique, but ActionQuest stands out among the rest for a few reasons.
Firstly, the staff that we recruit are absolutely top notch. The average age of our staff is 28. We recruit above the typical college-aged staff member to ensure that our staff has adequate experience to provide a safe, meaningful experience while still being young enough to relate to the experiences of our students. Similarly, many of our staff members were in fact students on the programs themselves! This gives our staff unique insight into the program and helps them facilitate a consistently impactful and unique experience.
Another reason we stand out among the rest is that we draw on the experiences of our study abroad and gap year sister program known as Sea|mester. Sea|mester is a sailing, oceanography, and marine biology focused study abroad and gap year program that operates year-round aboard our globe-roaming schooners, S/Y Argo and S/Y Ocean Star. We firmly believe in our motto, “You are your experiences,” and draw from our experiences daily.
Shaun (center, covered in algae) teaching students about the importance of seagrass beds in the British Virgin Islands
How do you think the international education sphere can improve in terms of environmental awareness and conservation?
I think international education and conservation have made leaps and bounds of improvement with regard to sustainability, but there will always be work to be done. Communities around the world are realizing the value of protecting and conserving treasured environmental resources and embracing tourism as an alternative to exploiting the environment. For example, a number of countries in Southeast Asia have turned from catching, processing, and selling marine megafauna like manta rays to developing snorkeling and diving operations that provide long term economic opportunities in impoverished communities and preserve wildlife for future generations. These models of sustainable travel are a beacon of light in a grim fight to save endangered species and cultural integrity of global communities.
What does meaningful travel mean to you?
It’s really hard to define meaningful travel if we’re being honest. What I value may be completely different than what another person values and it’s really something you have to discover or define for yourself. Often I find that having an open mind is the key to meaningful travel. Meaningful experiences begin with your willingness to engage with them. It may be a well-worn cliche, but what you get out of an experience really depends on what you put in. In this instance, the input is an open mind. Some of the most meaningful travel experiences I’ve ever had were simply the result of being willing to push beyond my comfort zone and the boundaries I had unknowingly constructed for myself.
Sitting atop the Great Wall of China
Why do you think it is important to travel and experience different cultures?
Travel absolutely changes how we view the world and I’m living proof of it. I was incredibly fortunate to study abroad in Australia as an undergraduate student. Experiencing a different culture and learning about other parts of the world for six months was enough to ignite a fire in me to continue exploring my interests, the world around me, and pursue a career in marine science and education.
Before my study abroad experience, I was completely clueless as to where my life would lead. After the experience, I felt driven, focused, and just absolutely alive. Since that time, I’ve found that travel, however long and however far from home, is what most piques my curiosity. Ironically, it seems strange to say, but traveling to other parts of the world and experiencing other cultures always refreshes my perspective of life in the United States and reminds me of just how incredibly fortunate we are to live here. Nothing makes you appreciate home like leaving it.
What hopes do you have for the future of ActionQuest’s programs?
My hope for the future is to continue exploring the world around us, our place in it, and ways to preserve wild places, wild experiences, and wildlife. My hope is that we can continue to support the organizations working to make the world a better place while creating meaningful travel experiences for as many students as possible. Even if we make a difference in just one little corner of the world, I can call that a meaningful life.
