90 Life Changing Days!

Going on Sea|mester was the best choice I made for myself in 2025, and its impact on my life cannot be understated. There is no feeling in the world that compares to sailing alone in the vastness of the Indian Ocean at 2am, thousands of stars studding the midnight velvet of the sky, sea so calm that the stars are reflected in its surface, while sparkling bioluminescent phytoplankton lights up the path Vela carves through the water. It’s hard to put into words how this experience truly grew me as a person, stretching me beyond what I thought I was capable of, and challenging me to be a better and open-minded human. Learning to work with others to sail a boat across an ocean to an entirely new continent has given me so much confidence in my life on land, and I truly feel that nothing is out of reach for me now. The flexibility and quick adaptations we had to constantly have (especially regarding time management and studying for classes) on Vela has prepared me so much for the struggles and unpredictability of real life. Learning about subjects like marine biology and oceanography while they directly pertained to our lives was unparalleled! There’s nothing like catching and dissecting a wahoo you caught on passage for marine biology, and then getting to have fish tacos for dinner later, or learning how to navigate via nautical charts in class and then getting to do it for real on boat checks. My trip also helped me build lifelong bonds with the other students, and I feel so blessed to call 15 other people across two countries and 13 states my good friends. If you are considering Sea|mester, go! Do whatever you can to make it possible to go on one of these trips. It will change your life, self- identity, and concept of humanity for the better.