Here, one of the Harbor Explorers, Truman, is sailing for the first time. From the moment Truman first came to Piers Park, he knew that he needed to sail, which is why he sailed every time we went down to the dock!
My position, taking the Harbor Explorers out sailing, meant that I got to see many of the kids’ first time ever on the water, and see them fall in love with sailing just like I did when I first started six years ago. Within this position, I get to have many great experiences, such as letting the kids steer the Sonar, tying huge 48 loop barrel knots with them, sailing through all of the boats at Long Wharf, and of course sailing directly into any wave in sight!
Despite having the incredible opportunity to be sailing on the Boston Harbor, children being children always find a way to complain about something, which is completely normal. But, I believe that it is important for them to realize the incredible opportunity they have- being able to sail on a boat in Boston’s Inner Harbor, an experience that many adults can’t even say they’ve done. There truly is no other experience like sailing around the Harbor.
The students have always enjoyed sailing on the Harbor ever since I took them out for the first time as a Future Leader, which is why I initially wanted to have sailing with the Harbor Explorers as my job to begin with, a decision I definitely do not regret. Because a large majority of them have never even been on a boat before, the first time I sail with them might be their first time ever on the water. This can often be a difficult thing to do for children, but they always enjoy it to no end and ultimately wish we could stay out until they have to be picked up. All in all, the experience of simply being on the water is an incredible experience that has an extremely positive impact on the students.
The Harbor Explorers program holds such a large number of great things that it is hard to pick a few that stand out the most. What comes to mind first, though, is the teamwork among the kids. Whether it’s through playing games like human knot, Fishy Fishy Cross My Ocean, or even just games they invent by themselves in the park, they are always having fun as a group and making new friendships every day. In terms of things sea-related, the kids are always helping to teach each other the knots I’ve previously taught them like the eight-knot, slip knot, bowline, or barrel knot. On the boat, the students are always teaching each other new things like how to steer, parts of the boat, and even landmarks around Boston. Seeing the students teach each other new things is rewarding because it shows that they take great interest in the Harbor Explorers program as a whole.
As a student and an employee of PPSC, it is crucial to set goals so that I am working at the best of my ability all of the time. For school, I always make sure that I delegate enough time to complete my work and to be the best student that I can be. For work, some goals I keep are having the students be fair, always learning something new, and most importantly be safe while having fun. Though school and work are two different places, there are still goals that I have for both places, which is to be making positive contributions to both communities. I believe that this is crucial because both my school and PPSC are great communities, which is something that I undoubtedly want to help maintain and contribute to.
-Nick Drevos
