Help me on my Class Afloat Journey

Make your Life a Story Worth Sharing

Hi! my name is Esabella Strickland. I am a 17-year-old Neurodivergent high school student based in Vancouver, Canada. I will be partaking in a 9-month journey called Class Afloat.

I will be travelling and learning on a tall ship, visiting/volunteering at multiple international ports and learning about different cultures. I will be also enhancing my skills as an award winning filmmaker by making a documentary of my journey and completing the trilogy to my novel series - Orabella the Oracle.

This is both exciting and scary for me, when I was younger I was bullied and socially alienated because of my learning differences, I would often hide in the bathroom stalls during lunch and recess to avoid the bullies. It was halfway through grade 6 I was transferred to a neurodivergent school where I felt I belonged and grew in confidence within that community.

As post-secondary approaches, I have a lot of anxiety about not fitting in again as my community becomes suddenly bigger and unsafe, which triggers my anxieties from my past experiences.

My parents always told me that travelling was the best way to find yourself before going off to post-secondary, I love travelling but not on my own which is an incredibly daunting task for my ADHD brain. It was then I found the bridge between both worlds, to travel and have structure so I can feel safe but grow at the same time aboard Class Float.

Trust me this is no holiday as there will be a lot of hard work, growth and taking classes aboard that are geared toward neurotypicals, I will be completely out of my comfort zone.

Over the 9 months aboard Class Afloat, I will see the world from a new perspective and bringing those experiences home will allow me to be a bigger, stronger voice in the neurodivergent/disability society by highlighting programs like the Adaptive Sailing Association and VarietyBC

The Commitment

An experience like this obviously comes with a high price tag and considering the challenges we are all having by staying afloat financially, this is why I started theGoFundMe. It takes a community and I need your help

The Class Afloat Journey consists of tuition, sailing uniform, medical insurance, port costs, flights, etc

In total, the total cost of my Class Afloat journey comes to approximately $74,000 (cad)

Thus far I have raised $41,000 through Scholarships, Savings, Family Support and Private Donations.

I have applied for other scholarships and will be working full-time through the summer to help with the costs.

However, my immediate goal is the $10,000 (cad) deposit that is required on July 1st, 2023. The second deposit of $10,000 (cad) is on Nov 1st.

Your inner world is a reflection of your outer experience.

I want to learn more about myself and how I see myself in the world. Travelling is the best way to find yourself and before I make any big decisions about my future I would like to know more about myself. I will be taken out of my comfort zone, as I have been part of a safe neurodivergent community for the last 6 years at my school. and will not have the guiding hands of my parents and family.

Your part of this Journey

If you feel this journey will help me shine brighter in the world, then I ask you to be part of my global family and biggest cheerleader. As a contributor, I will be adding you to the documentary credits which will be submitted to all the major film festivals upon my return and will be updated on my journey through my social media channels

When spreading the word, feel free to share the link to my GoFundMe, or contact me via email for information on how to send me an e-transfer, or with any questions!

To check in throughout my journey, please visit my Instagram account:

https://www.instagram.com/esabellakarena/

For more information on Class Afloat, visit their website here, or see their social media https://classafloat.com/.”

If you were meant to stay in one place