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Emily M., an 11th grade student at East Bronx Academy for the Future, has always been a good student but, to use her own words, "kept myself bottled up and hidden." She describes being quiet and uncomfortable in social environments. When Emily first came to Rocking the Boat in spring 2011, that is exactly how she came across. But soon things began to change. The warmth of the environment, support of her supervisors and peers, and wealth of chances to try new things at Rocking the Boat awakened Emily's self-confidence. She discovered not only a passion for rowing and sailing, but that she was really good at it! Mastering these new skills opened new doors for Emily. She started engaging with other Rocking the Boat students, coaching them on rowing techniques and encouraging them to try new experiences-even ones like swimming, something that she herself had been scared to try just a semester before.Emily recently shared a draft of a practice college essay, an assignment she completed for her AP English class, with her On-Water Program Director. It features this story: "Every semester, Rocking the boat goes on weekend or week long trips. On these trips we spend a lot of time with each other and get to know each other better. During these trips, the girls would be divided into their own tents and the same went for the boys. We wouldn't always know the people we are put with. So this gives us a chance to connect with other people. Every night, the people in their tents would stay up quite late just talking to each other. My first time ever to go camping somewhere was with Rocking the Boat. I got to know people better than I have ever known them before. It really allowed me to become close with those people. Now, when I come up to new groups of people, I would remember how easy it is to start a conversation and I would just go for it." This summer, Rocking the Boat encouraged Emily to build on her natural seamanship skills and apply to Young Women at the Helm, a highly selective leadership program that takes place aboard the renowned Hudson River Sloop Clearwater. The "old" Emily would have stayed in her comfort zone at Rocking the Boat, but the "new" Emily decided to make the leap and she had an incredible experience, spending three days sailing and learning with a new group of ambitious young women like her. That same practice essay mentioned above ends with this: "I am so thankful to have Rocking the Boat in my life. It has made me a better person. It has given me people I can trust and talk to. I love when I'm out in the middle of the East River on a boat because I get to think about everything that's happening in my life. If I'm having issues at home or in school, I get to think about what I can do to help myself. 'Port. Starboard. Hold water. Forward row.' These rowing commands tell me when and where to row. They give me direction. Not only when I'm rowing, but in my life as well." |
 
For Sekou, "home" has never been a stable place. Sekou emigrated to the United States in the spring of 2009 after years of living in refugee camps in Liberia. He arrived as an outsider, with no friends, and not knowing the language or anything about this new and very different country. Shortly after his arrival he enrolled in Bronx International High School, a high school designed to serve new immigrants, and participated in their pre-freshman year summer enrichment program. The school had contracted with Rocking the Boat to run the four-week program, and so Sekou's first summer in America was spent learning to row, fish, and restore the Bronx River.Sekou fell right into the rhythm of Rocking the Boat. As excited as he was to use wooden boats on the Bronx River, what really intrigued Sekou was how they were built. That fall, he joined the Boatbuilding Program as one of 16 students building a 14-foot Whitehall. Even though program was scheduled twice a week, Sekou came every day. When he wasn't spiling planks or cutting rabbets, he was making friends with the other students and practicing his English-and even his Spanish! Life as a new immigrant was tough. He and his parents lived in tiny, overcrowded apartment. Both parents worked exceptionally long hours and money was extremely tight. But with all of his friends and mentors in the shop during program and in the kitchen and lounge during break time, Rocking the Boat became a safe space, a surrogate family, and a second home. Seven semesters later, Sekou is a junior at Bronx International and is inspiring and coaching other students and Apprentices as a Boatbuilding Apprentice. Sekou's energy and enthusiasm are contagious. During Job Skills tour to the Wall Street Journal this summer when a senior editor met with the Apprentices, Sekou asked one question after another about the newspaper business. At one point the editor stopped him and said: "Pay attention to this guy. He's going places." |
