Staff Update Day 1
Location: West End, Tortola
The third session is about to start, , and we are all excited. Southern Accent is fully stocked and ready to leave the dock. We have a great variety of students on board, with shipmates working towards their divemaster certifications, some diving for the first time, and others in the middle, working toward their advanced certifications! We even have a Quest student on board, who will be working with some amazing local service organizations with the Lifeworks program. Elliot, Doug, Leah, and I could not be more excited to teach sailing and diving to our group. I know we will have an outstanding voyage.
Here is an introduction to the crew of Southern Accent:
Monika- skipper
Monika got involved with ActionQuest as a Sea|mester student in 2009. She grew up in the water and spent a lot of time outdoors. Monika is a PADI divemaster and holds an IYT Master of Yachts 200 Tons. She has a BA in art history from the University of Florida and is excited to be living in Florence, Italy in the fall.
Eli- mate
Eli entered the world of AQ as a Lifeworks BVI student in 2007 and 2008. In Spring 2011 he hopped aboard Seamester's Argo to complete a 90-day voyage with extra time in the Caribbean to earn additional certifications, that summer he came on as staff for the Lifeworks program in Ecuador/Galapagos. Eli will start his fourth year at New College of Florida this fall and wishes to express how thrilled he is to be back in the BVI and for the opportunity to have and share an unforgettable summer.
Doug- dive instructor/mate
Doug is from Hadley, MA and grew up boating with his grandparents in Florida. He developed a great love for being on the water in Florida, and in high school Doug discovered ActionQuest. He was a shipmate for two summers before staying on as staff. Doug has been working with ActionQuest for four years. His professional qualifications include PADI Master Scuba Diver Trainer and EFR Instructor.
Leah- dive instructor/mate
Leah is from the suburbs of Philadelphia and is a sophomore at Tulane University studying biomedical engineering and marine biology. This will be her 4th year with ActionQuest and her first year on the staff as a dive instructor. She's looking forward to teaching and giving her students the same amazing experience she had as a shipmate.