Help Maddie Pay for Her Semester At Sea
Donation protected
Ahoy!
My name is Janessa, and my little sister is Maddie, a high school senior and an aspiring sailor from Providence, RI. She’s a Harbor Freight Fellow, part of Big Picture Learning’s trades initiative, and she interns at Oliver Hazard Perry RI, a grassroots nonprofit for maritime education, on their tall ship by the same name in Newport.
Maddie detailed her favorite part of working on the ship. She said;
“The first time on deck was amazing—I found beauty in the masts and the rigging, the wooden cap rails, the smooth, varnished helm. And then, below deck, I fell in love with the engine room, a metal jungle of pipes and valves. It’s where the fun stuff happens. For my birthday, I got to take apart and clean a macerator pump! It smelled awful. It was great! My time on the Perry led to a greater interest in the maritime world, specifically in engineering.”
Shortly after discovering her passion, Maddie was extended an invitation to join a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity aboard Sailing Ships Maine’s tall ship Harvey Gamage for their 2021 Spring Semester at Sea. She was initially ecstatic at the idea of living her dream and experiencing the maritime world hands-on at such a young age. However, the excitement was short-lived once we saw the cost of tuition. We come from a working-class, single-parent household in the inner city. Given our current financial situation, it would be impossible to pay the entire amount.
With the help of amazing family, teachers, friends, and professional mentors, Maddie was able to board the Gamage while we raise funds for her on land so she didn't have to miss out on this opportunity! It takes a crew to raise a sailor, and a community to raise tuition. Coming from a blue-collar family with diverse roots, Maddie doesn’t fit the stereotypical profile of a sailing student. By donating, you would not only be funding her experience onboard but would also enable her to share the opportunities of the sailing world with other students from backgrounds similar to hers. Through an at-sea blog series, photos, and videos, Maddie’s goal is to promote diversity and inclusion in the maritime industry to a new generation.
Please consider becoming part of Maddie’s story by donating and sharing to social media to help her take full advantage of this opportunity!
All funds raised go directly to Sailing Ships Maine to help cover the $15,000 price of tuition for their 2021 Semester at Sea program. Updates will be posted here and through family’s social media due to limited internet access aboard the ship.
We cannot tell you enough how much we appreciate everyone’s assistance in making her dreams a reality.
My name is Janessa, and my little sister is Maddie, a high school senior and an aspiring sailor from Providence, RI. She’s a Harbor Freight Fellow, part of Big Picture Learning’s trades initiative, and she interns at Oliver Hazard Perry RI, a grassroots nonprofit for maritime education, on their tall ship by the same name in Newport.
Maddie detailed her favorite part of working on the ship. She said;
“The first time on deck was amazing—I found beauty in the masts and the rigging, the wooden cap rails, the smooth, varnished helm. And then, below deck, I fell in love with the engine room, a metal jungle of pipes and valves. It’s where the fun stuff happens. For my birthday, I got to take apart and clean a macerator pump! It smelled awful. It was great! My time on the Perry led to a greater interest in the maritime world, specifically in engineering.”
Shortly after discovering her passion, Maddie was extended an invitation to join a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity aboard Sailing Ships Maine’s tall ship Harvey Gamage for their 2021 Spring Semester at Sea. She was initially ecstatic at the idea of living her dream and experiencing the maritime world hands-on at such a young age. However, the excitement was short-lived once we saw the cost of tuition. We come from a working-class, single-parent household in the inner city. Given our current financial situation, it would be impossible to pay the entire amount.
With the help of amazing family, teachers, friends, and professional mentors, Maddie was able to board the Gamage while we raise funds for her on land so she didn't have to miss out on this opportunity! It takes a crew to raise a sailor, and a community to raise tuition. Coming from a blue-collar family with diverse roots, Maddie doesn’t fit the stereotypical profile of a sailing student. By donating, you would not only be funding her experience onboard but would also enable her to share the opportunities of the sailing world with other students from backgrounds similar to hers. Through an at-sea blog series, photos, and videos, Maddie’s goal is to promote diversity and inclusion in the maritime industry to a new generation.
Please consider becoming part of Maddie’s story by donating and sharing to social media to help her take full advantage of this opportunity!
All funds raised go directly to Sailing Ships Maine to help cover the $15,000 price of tuition for their 2021 Semester at Sea program. Updates will be posted here and through family’s social media due to limited internet access aboard the ship.
We cannot tell you enough how much we appreciate everyone’s assistance in making her dreams a reality.
Organizer
Janessa Frias
Organizer
Providence, RI
