Meet Our 2016 Bravo 2 & Charlie 2 Leadership Team!
James “Ish” Alexander, Program Director
Ish graduated from Prescott College in 2015 with a degree in Psychology and Adventure Education. His degree came after spending a busy four years tramping and camping around the Arizona desert and much of the western United States. While in school he kept himself busy surfing, skiing, rafting, rock climbing, stargazing, camp firing, and dancing! Upon his return from the Caribbean at the end of last summer he embarked on a three-month road trip that took him from Philadelphia to San Diego, and then up the coast all the way to Juneau, Alaska! Since arriving in Alaska he has been spending his time hiking, exploring the local glaciers, and working as a teacher at the high school!
Will Steward, Fleet Captain
Currently studying for a Master’s degree in Marine Biology, Will has a passion for anything to do with the ocean. Be it sailing, scuba diving or trying to find his favorite underwater creature (nudibranchs!), it’s safe to say Will is in his element working with Sail Caribbean! Having gained his Divemaster qualification in Fiji, he went on to work in Zanzibar before coming to the BVI where he gained his Instructor qualification with Sail Caribbean Divers.
Courtney Sarik, Captain of Montlouis
As a true outdoor adventurist, Courtney joins us for her very first year! She grew up in Northern Virginia and graduated from George Mason University in 2013 with a degree in Psychology and a minor in Intelligence Analysis. Courtney fell in love with sailing when her twin brother (also a new team member!) took her on a sailboat for a stormy, thrilling sailing experience for the first time back in 2010. It hooked her on sailing and she has been teaching it every summer since. Her true love for the outdoors and inspiring and teaching youth is what has brought Courtney to us. Ever since she could walk, her feet were on skis and snow, and she is fond of experience teaching skiing in Killington, Vermont over the past few years. The most rewarding part of teaching is seeing the same passion and excitement she has shine in her students. On days off, she’ll go sailing, kayaking, hiking, backpacking, rock climbing, swimming, skiing…you name it, she’ll try it!
Clodagh Somers, Captain of Meursault
Clodagh has just completed a Masters in Architecture at University College of Dublin. She comes from a sailing family, beginning to sail yachts when she was just 10 and in time became a dinghy instructor. She taught firstly in Ireland, then Spain, before crossing the Atlantic to teach in the BVI. She grew up sailing her family’s yacht around the Irish Sea, with longer trips to the south coast and sailed a 70ft Clipper from Spain to Dublin. In 2014, she completed her day RYA skipper certification and goal for the next year is to earn her Yachtmaster.
Mark Kennedy, Captain of Fermi
Mark has just completed his third and final year in Colaiste Dhulaigh, achieving a Higher National Diploma in Outdoor Adventure Management. This is where he trained as a power boat, sailing, kayaking, windsurfing, climbing and mountaineering instructor. He has worked in the Desolation Wilderness in Eldorado County, California, where he lived in a tent for three months and delivered leadership programs to students of all ages through the medium of true wilderness. This was a life changing experience for him and where he developed his love for sharing his skills and knowledge with his students and learned how to develop their true potential.
Emily Graf, Mate of Montlouis
Emily started diving in 2013 and quickly developed a passion for marine life. Growing up in New Mexico (a state with no oceans), she is grateful to have been introduced to the ocean in such an exhilarating way! Emily obtained her B.A. in Environmental Studies at the University of Redlands in California, and worked as an environmental consultant for many years before she discovered her affection for scuba diving and marine life. She loves to travel, experience new cultures, observe wildlife, and laugh a lot! Scuba diving has become one of her biggest passions along with yoga, mountain biking, and bird watching. Emily hopes to inspire people to love and conserve our oceans by sharing what she has learned about the magical underwater world.
Lindsay Walsh, Mate of Meursault
Lindsay just finished her first year at Siena College studying Marketing. Growing up on Long Island, she spends a majority of her time on the water. She grew up sailing for her yacht club and spent summers sailing with her local beach. She even was on her high school’s sailing team for three years. Lindsay has a passion not only for sailing but for scuba diving as well, having gained her Advanced Open water certification through her previous years as a student at Sail Caribbean.
Ben Goldsmith, Mate of Fermi, Medical Officer
Ben started to sail at age 5, as his parents would strap him into a PFD and sail the Hudson River on their 27′ Cape Dory. At age 9, Ben spent seven years attending Shattemuc Sailing Academy as a student and then another seven years as an Instructor. Ben is currently the Skipper of Sea Scout Ship Shattemuc, where he and the Scouts maintain and sail a 1929 Alden Triangle Sloop. Ben has been active as an EMT and firefighter in his hometown’s volunteer departments for five years. He recently completed the National Outdoor Leadership School’s Wilderness Medicine and Rescue semester, where he obtained his Wilderness First Responder certification and re-certified his Emergency Medical Technician License. Ben spent 56 days in the backcountry embedding and implementing these skills. He respects the intuitive, graceful, and beautiful nature of the sport of sailing. Ben is passionate about ultimate frisbee, photography, his cats, and singing. He is exited to teach his students various (appropriate) sea shanties, some of which he has written. After being in the desert for over two months, Ben is excited to get back to his natural stomping “ground” on the water.
