Help Robin Ernst Earn Her Captain's Bars
Donation protected
UPDATE: The balance of the funding for Robin's captain's class and license has been secured!!! Thanks everyone who donated and has supported her throughout her career at Wendella!
My name is Eric Olsen, and I'm starting this campaign in support of one of the most amazing women I've ever known...
If you've ever been to Chicago, you've no doubt been struck by the sight of boats of all shapes and sizes winding their way down a river, cutting right through the heart of one of the biggest cities in the world.
Robin is employed by Wendella Sightseeing, and serves as a Senior Deckhand on their Chicago Water Taxi Line. In this capacity, Robin is second-in-command to the Captain, and is responsible for ensuring the Captain's orders are carried out, as well as the smooth operation of the boat and safety of passengers and crew.
A former Supervisor of Music Research for a Los Angeles-based Rights Clearance company, a family emergency forced Robin to return to Chicago two years ago and, in need of a job quickly, answered an ad looking for deckhands to work the season on the Chicago River.
When she began in March of 2017, Robin was 47, and one of the oldest crew members in the company (let alone deckhand). However, she quickly demonstrated a staunch work ethic, strict attention to detail and an unwavering desire to learn and master as much as she could about all aspects of the boat's operations.
This earned Robin the respect and admiration of every captain in the fleet, including the two most senior. Unbeknownst to her at the time, many of them had approached the Chief of Operations (CO) during the course of the season, encouraging him to make her a senior deckhand (she could also be counted on to bake cookies for the captains and crew a couple of times a month, which only solidified her standing with her younger boat mates as something of a Mother Hen; a role she has thoroughly embraced).
In all, Robin has done what she's always done: when given a job to do, she gets it done correctly, on time, every time, leading to the Chief of Operations to not only promote her to Senior Deckhand late this past Fall, but to encourage her to pursue her Captain's license this offseason. Seems they're going to need a new Captain or two next Spring.
This is a video Robin put together for the fleet at the end of this season. In the two years she's been with the Water Taxi, it's been wonderful to see her become truly passionate about her work, and heartening to see she's found a family there. What started out as a job to get through the summer, has become a potential career for a woman who's taken everything life has thrown at her and found the beauty and wonder in it all.
Where Your Money Is Going
Captain's Class - $1250
Transportation Worker's Identification Credential (TWIC card) - $125
Marine Radio Operator's Permit - $80
Doctor's Physical Exam - $200
Classroom Materials (books, charts, ancillary items/tools) - $500
About The Class: http://www.usmaritime.us/Illinois-Chicago.htm (note: dates at the link are from earlier this year)
About The Instruction: http://www.chicagocaptainsclasses.com
The Captain's Class begins on February 12, so she'd need to have the funds available to pay her tuition in full by the first day of class.
Thanks so much for reading!
My name is Eric Olsen, and I'm starting this campaign in support of one of the most amazing women I've ever known...
If you've ever been to Chicago, you've no doubt been struck by the sight of boats of all shapes and sizes winding their way down a river, cutting right through the heart of one of the biggest cities in the world.
Robin is employed by Wendella Sightseeing, and serves as a Senior Deckhand on their Chicago Water Taxi Line. In this capacity, Robin is second-in-command to the Captain, and is responsible for ensuring the Captain's orders are carried out, as well as the smooth operation of the boat and safety of passengers and crew.
A former Supervisor of Music Research for a Los Angeles-based Rights Clearance company, a family emergency forced Robin to return to Chicago two years ago and, in need of a job quickly, answered an ad looking for deckhands to work the season on the Chicago River.
When she began in March of 2017, Robin was 47, and one of the oldest crew members in the company (let alone deckhand). However, she quickly demonstrated a staunch work ethic, strict attention to detail and an unwavering desire to learn and master as much as she could about all aspects of the boat's operations.
This earned Robin the respect and admiration of every captain in the fleet, including the two most senior. Unbeknownst to her at the time, many of them had approached the Chief of Operations (CO) during the course of the season, encouraging him to make her a senior deckhand (she could also be counted on to bake cookies for the captains and crew a couple of times a month, which only solidified her standing with her younger boat mates as something of a Mother Hen; a role she has thoroughly embraced).
In all, Robin has done what she's always done: when given a job to do, she gets it done correctly, on time, every time, leading to the Chief of Operations to not only promote her to Senior Deckhand late this past Fall, but to encourage her to pursue her Captain's license this offseason. Seems they're going to need a new Captain or two next Spring.
This is a video Robin put together for the fleet at the end of this season. In the two years she's been with the Water Taxi, it's been wonderful to see her become truly passionate about her work, and heartening to see she's found a family there. What started out as a job to get through the summer, has become a potential career for a woman who's taken everything life has thrown at her and found the beauty and wonder in it all.
Where Your Money Is Going
Captain's Class - $1250
Transportation Worker's Identification Credential (TWIC card) - $125
Marine Radio Operator's Permit - $80
Doctor's Physical Exam - $200
Classroom Materials (books, charts, ancillary items/tools) - $500
About The Class: http://www.usmaritime.us/Illinois-Chicago.htm (note: dates at the link are from earlier this year)
About The Instruction: http://www.chicagocaptainsclasses.com
The Captain's Class begins on February 12, so she'd need to have the funds available to pay her tuition in full by the first day of class.
Thanks so much for reading!
Organizer
Eric Olsen
Organizer
Chicago, IL
