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British Virgin Islands - 2019, Session 3

Staff Update Day 1

Location: West End, Tortola

After a great session 2, we have spent the last few days getting the nitty-gritty details ready for our final session for the summer. We’ve got the boat cleaned up and filled to the gills with food for program, as well as to have all our equipment prepped and ready to go. The cabins are all made up and ready for our shipmates to settle into their new home. Over the next two and a half weeks of sailing and becoming even better divers, we will grow from a group of strangers to a tight-knit crew and family. The three of us are unbelievably excited to meet our new shipmates and get out on the water!

Here is an introduction of the crew on Two Ghosts:

Matt: Skipper/Dive Instructor/MPIC

Matt was born and raised in Sarasota, Florida. He graduated from Florida Gulf Coast University with a Bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice. Matt’s love for diving began after he completed an ActionQuest trip as a shipmate in 2009 and his love for sailing came after sailing aboard S/Y Argo as a shipmate in 2012. He now holds certifications as an MCA Master of Yachts 200 Ton, PADI Master Scuba Diver Trainer, and MCA Medical Person in Charge. Since 2014 he has spent his summers working with the AQ team and now has joined the GXG main office in Sarasota, Florida.

Alisa: Dive Instructor/Mate

Alisa was raised in Florida and has never been far from the water. She was a competitive swimmer for nine years and had been diving since she was sixteen. Her passion for scuba and the underwater world has only increased over the years. Alisa studied ecotourism in college and became a PADI scuba instructor in 2014. She has spent the last five years traveling and teaching scuba but most recently spent time in the Pacific Northwest teaching preschool. Alisa enjoys being outside as much as possible whether it’s hiking, swimming, or diving, and has a huge passion for experiential education. This is her fifth year working with the Global Expeditions Group family, and she is more than excited to continue this adventure!

Ashley: Mate

Ashley grew up in central Florida, where she developed a love for the ocean at a young age. She spent most of her free time in the water by swimming, surfing, snorkeling, sailing, rowing, diving, and skiing in every body of water she came near, and this hasn’t changed. She found a way to combine her love of traveling and the ocean in a study abroad experience with Sea|Mester, where she completed a trans-Atlantic voyage from South Africa to the Caribbean aboard S/Y Argo in 2018. During the school year, she is pursuing a BS in Marine Biology with a minor in photography at the University of South Carolina and is about to start her senior year. She applied this education to working on a sea turtle research team in the Dry Tortugas National Park last summer and is excited to be joining the GXG team this summer as a GoBeyond Mate. When she’s not on the water, Ashley can be found reading a book, doing yoga, or pretending she can play the ukulele.