Location: West End, Tortola
Hello!!! We have been in the BVIs for staff training and working to set up our fleet for nearly 2 weeks now. We are so beyond excited to meet all of our students and spend this session together. We hope the departure and travel ran smoothly and can’t wait for the best session ever! We wanted to give a quick introduction to us as the staff team.
Joey Schmidt: Joey was born in Sacramento, California, but he discovered his passion for the water in Santa Barbara. He began with Opti regattas, progressed to the 420 division, and eventually moved into keelboat racing. His love for all things water-related has only grown over the years. As a student with Seamester on S/Y Vela’s summer voyage from the Caribbean to Rome, Joey completed his PSCT theory and passed the Practical Exam for his Master of Yachts Offshore Sailing endorsement. Joey will be the skipper of Hope. He is beyond excited to spend the summer sailing around the British Virgin Islands with ActionQuest!
Mia Carr: Mia grew up on the water in Marblehead, Massachusetts and has been on boats since before she could talk. She attends Tulane University, where she studies marketing and marine biology. Although she grew up on the water, her love for sailing started when she sailed with Seamester from the Mediterranean to the Caribbean during her gap year. She then continued her time in Australia and Tahiti where she again sailed with the crew from Tahiti to Fiji. Mia cannot wait to spend the summer in the BVI again and see all of you!
Amanda Drazka: Amanda grew up in Rye Brook, New York, right outside the city. She fell in love with the ocean from a young age while snorkeling on family trips to St. John, USVI, where she eventually got scuba certified with her whole family. Since the beginning, Amanda developed a passion for being underwater and knew it was something she wanted to pursue. She spent many incredible summers since 2016 as a student with AQ and earned her Open Water Scuba Instructor certification in 2022. She learned a lot through her summers with AQ and is beyond excited to share this knowledge with students of her own! Amanda is pursuing a Psychology degree outside of AQ at the University of Miami. She loves Miami but is beyond excited to return to the BVI’s for another life-changing summer with ActionQuest! During college, she completed a study abroad program through Seamester, living aboard S/Y Argo, and sailing from Indonesia to South Africa. Her main goal is to keep the stoke levels high and create a life-activating experience for her students!
Grace Berry: This will be Grace’s her second summer working as a dive instructor at AQ. Before joining the AQ team, she spent three unforgettable years as a student and participated in the Neptune, Rescue, and Divemaster programs. Grace is currently in school in chilly Vermont, so she’s looking forward to diving with all her students in the tropical waters of the BVIs. Her favorite part about being an instructor is teaching students about the ocean and watching them grow as divers. When she’s not underwater, Grace loves hiking, sailing, rock climbing, painting, and just about anything that gets her outside. She’s so excited to meet her students this summer and get their dive on!