In this photo, the Piers Park Sailing Center sailors are on an adventure through the wilderness of Lovells Island, one of my favorite Boston Harbor Islands, we instructors take the students to on Fridays.
As a PPSC instructor, I’ve been extremely inspired by the children I teach. There’s nothing better than when your boat group comes up to you eagerly asking “Can we learn something new?” or asks, “Can I steer the boat?” I never mind when it takes a little more effort to get something to click in a child’s brain as long as they have a willingness to learn. It’s fun to get the shy ones out of their shells, to share my passion of sailing, and to explore some of the amazing adventures at the Boston Harbor Islands. Truly, it’s an honor to work with the many diverse people at PPSC in a very safe and supportive environment.
I mainly stress the importance of teamwork, determination and diligence. Sailing is an activity that forces you to work with the unpredictable environment, and this is something you cannot do alone. It is incredibly hard to do everything from rigging to navigating the harbor alone. Trust in your teammates is absolutely crucial, without it, you end up in tough situations or just simply with a bad experience. Not only is teamwork important, determination and diligence play a big role in sailing. Although not obvious, sailing is pretty hard, especially in times of high winds or freezing temperatures. If all sailors gave up because it was too hard, there wouldn’t be any sailors. I want my students to learn to take the initiative and help out their teammates, and I especially want my students to keep working at the hardest tasks no matter how frustrating. This not only makes a great sailor, it makes a successful person as well.
Sailing has changed many shy children into successful leaders and adventurers. Not only do they experience the thrill of sailing, they explore the hidden worlds located on the nearby islands. Children who’d probably be on technology all day find joy in helping their peers, enjoying Boston Harbor and learning new things through a hands-on experience. Suddenly, these inner city kids are running through fields, hiking through forests, sailing the seas, and exploring Revolutionary War bunkers all in their backyard. PPSC and all of its staff has helped to develop the many future leaders of the world.
One of my favorite parts of the program definitely has to be the island trips. The islands have so many aspects to them that cannot be seen from a distance. This is why I love that my students get to have that experience. Each island has a different feel to it. Rainsford feels like a hidden tropical paradise with warm water and a beautiful beach. Tourist filled Georges Island holds an old fort, but across the water Lovells Island is not to be forgotten either. As seen in the picture, Lovells has a mini forest-like area with hidden forts, but from a distance, it only looks like a simple island with a beach. All the islands have so many worlds stuffed onto one place, which makes it a great playground for students.
As for my school/work life, I hope to graduate from my high school at the top of my class and further my education at an excellent, local college to become a mechanical engineer. I would love to continue to work at PPSC for many years to come and especially continue to sail through college to the end of my life.
-Elizabeth Collins
