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Location: West End, BVI
Come Sail Away The day we have all been waiting for has finally arrived! Day 1 of the summer is here, and we are (Go)Beyond excited for all of our students to join our crew. We have been working hard to make sure everything is ready to go for the adventure we are all about to take together. We are thrilled for the trip to begin and for us to set sail tomorrow. Over the next 21 days, we will participate in sailing, meaningful community service projects, turtle tagging, interacting with local children, other marine science activities, and tons of bonding! Anamcara-our home for the next few weeks- has been stuffed to the gills with food, water, and fuel in preparation for our student’s arrival. This session is sure to be packed with life-changing experiences. Climb aboard and follow along with our expedition updates here!
BZ Anna [BZ] McBee is from Siler City, North Carolina. BZ discovered her passion for the environment and sailing as a student on ActionQuest and Sea|mester. She graduated from North Carolina State University with a bachelors in Oceanography. She then joined the GoBeyond field staff as a skipper in 2013 and has most recently been a director in the BVI’s. She has worked in the Florida keys researching Invasive Lionfish, as a recreational fisheries biologist for Florida Fish and Wildlife and a contracted diver with Coral Restoration Foundation. She currently spends the rest of the year working as a scientist on commercial fishing vessels in the Bering Sea dreaming of warmer seas. Her favorite part about GoBeyond is getting the chance to see students discover their interests and passions while inspiring them to think more about their impact on the environment.
JB JB is a quirky old soul passionate about empowering others, exploring, and being outside. His interests for travel and nature began with his upbringing in Ecuador and family road trips across the US. He moved to Florida and later graduated from the University of South Florida, where he discovered a love for building community and educating leaders. Being a student on Sea|mester in 2014 helped him realize he could combine all that he loves into one life. With WFR and Divemaster certs, he’s worked and traveled across North and Central America with various non-profits and outdoor companies, waking up in a lot of different places the past couple of years. His current work as an experiential educator has him traipsing across Florida guiding groups of many ages and backgrounds to grow inside by going outside (cheesy, right?). He’s happiest when he’s on/near/in the water; someone laughs at his terrible jokes, and/, or he feels helpful/useful. If he could be a dog or a penguin, he would probably do it.
Ashley 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.
Nazz Nazz hails from the Island of Saint Lucia and has a strong love for sailing. Working towards his Yachtmaster certification, Nazz sailed on the Seamester voyage from the BVI to Genova, Italy in 2018 and has participated in multiple boat deliveries across the Caribbean and eastern seaboard. In addition to Sailing, Nazz enjoys kiteboarding, painting, and music production. He is excited to join the AQ team this summer and share his love of sailing and watersports with his students.