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British Virgin Islands - 2019, Session 1

Staff Update Day 1

Location: West End, Tortola

It is not too long until our 11 shipmates arrive, and were very excited to welcome them aboard! After weeks of hard work from the staff, Sea Senor has been picked up from Road Town and packed with food, fuel, water, and other odds and ends in preparation for the much-anticipated weeks ahead. Throughout next three weeks, we are hoping to certify our shipmates with an International Yacht Training certificate and an open water dive certification that can open new doorways into the yachting industry and dive industry or provide better access to pleasurable experiences. Courses aside, our goal as staff is to provide a fun, supportive, and safe environment that allows our students to discover their ability to learn and overcome challenges. We hope they build these surroundings not only from our daily activities such as water skiing, dinghy sailing, snorkeling, hiking, but with responsibility, accountability, and team building!

We're looking forward to meeting our students soon and having an incredible time over the upcoming weeks.

Here is an introduction to the crew of Sea Senor:

Ben- Skipper

Ben hails from Baltimore, Maryland, where he spent his summers on the Chesapeake Bay. While attending the University of Maryland, College Park, he participated in a Sea|mester program which introduced him to sailing. Since then, he has worked in the industry, specializing in instruction and deliveries. He has accumulated over 15,000 nm on the water, including a trans-oceanic delivery from Baltimore to Sydney, Australia. Currently, he works as a boatbuilder, specializing in custom composites and Grand Prix finishes for high-performance racing sailboats. Ben joined the AQ team in 2016 and is looking forward to returning to the BVI for another amazing summer.

Jordan- Dive Instructor/Mate

Born and raised in Akron, Ohio, Jordan fell in love with the ocean while on family vacations to Sanibel Island, Florida. Jordan completed her dive instructor training in the chilly Ohio quarries while attending Wittenberg University in Springfield, Ohio, where she is working towards her B.S. in Environmental Science and Marine Science. She will she spend her fall semester receiving part of her degree studying at the Duke University Marine Lab in North Carolina. After graduating she plans to pursue a masters degree in marine mammal science. Jordan was an ActionQuest shipmate for five years and is returning for her 2nd summer as an instructor. Some of Jordan’s land-based hobbies include hiking, baking/cooking, petting every dog in sight, and anything coffee.

Martine- Mate/Wilderness First Responder

Martine grew up in Florida and has been sailing since 2015. She fell in love with experiential education after a summer semester with Sea|mester and has been pursuing a career in that field ever since. Martine is currently studying ocean engineering and environmental science at Florida Atlantic University while working with their outdoor recreation department. When not racing with her team on their boat Rabbit, Martine loves to paint, travel, and kayak.