How did you decide to work for the Hurricane Island Outward Bound School?
Outward Bound is that thing everyone has heard of, mom’s brother’s best friend’s dad did it once, but no one can tell you what it is. So I sat down one day and I Googled it. Which led me to the history section of a wikki page that in turn led me to Hurricane Island Outward Bound School and, from there, I realized that not only did I think it was a cool experience to have but that people actually had to instruct the courses! I did some more research on the types of courses and discovered that sailing expeditions took place. Luckily I had some sailing experience so I applied as a sea instructor. A couple of months later, I was on a plane to Maine from Maryland to have my Outward Bound adventure.
What is your role at HIOBS?
My current role at HIOBS is a Lead Instructor for Intercept courses for struggling teens; though in the past I have had many different roles ranging from logistician, sea instructor, open-enrollment instructor, and even worked in the boathouse. Like many instructors, I have had the opportunity to wear many different hats for HIOBS and I am grateful for all of the experiences.
What do you like best about working for HIOBS?
What I like most about working for HIOBS is the sense of community. We are friends, family, partners, co-workers, roommates, and everything in between. As the HIOBS community we have a bond that is difficult to explain. It’s like being a part of a sports team, fraternity/sorority, club, and family all in one.
What is your favorite or funniest HIOBS memory?
That is perhaps the hardest question to answer. I have so many great and funny memories. One is sailing in the Florida Keys and crossing Florida Bay on New Years Eve night with an amazing group of instructors. We watched fireworks from Key West, Miami, Key Largo and various other locations around us. To celebrate we raised a bumper up our flag halyard and counted down to midnight. Another great memory is watching an all boys group cook an amazing field dinner for the instructors including fried grasshoppers and complete with entertainment in the former of a song and dance. These are just a couple of the amazing memories. I have a lot of stories that I am willing to share with anyone that wants to hear.
What is so special about Intercept courses?
There are so many things about intercept courses that make them special but I think the thing that makes them different and so amazing is the parents weekend. This culmination of events allows students to connect with their parents, to share the stories from their group and to show their parents what they accomplished as a group. Parents get to feel how heavy the backpacks were, how many miles they canoed and hiked, and see how they cooked and how they dealt with and resolved issues as a group. The skills learned, including the soft skills like communication, team work, leadership, and compassion, are really engrained by the end of course. Many of the parents haven’t seen these skills in their children before.
Choose one word to sum up HIOBS.
Adventure.
When you are not at work, what do you enjoy doing?
My passion has always been sailing. I grew up sailing and I find a lot of comfort on the water. Most recently I have transitioned to more land-based hobbies like rugby, hiking, and slack-lining considering I now live in the land-locked state of Vermont. Luckily, I live pretty close to Lake Champlain.
What would people be surprised to learn about you?
I think people might be surprised that the entire time I have worked for HIOBS I have never had a dry PB&J sandwich. NEVER. We tend to make them when its raining because they are easy and a comfort food. I almost had a dry one once in Florida but as I was about to take my first bite a rogue wave hit the side of the boat splashing my hand and subsequently my sandwich, no one else got hit with this wave. It was meant for my PB&J. I just know it.