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October 29, 2009 - Enjoy the notes below to share one of the outcomes of this event~
Salish Sea Expeditions - Patrons of Discovery Breakfast
I was asked to do some editing and coach the primary speakers for this event. What follows is a letter I sent this evening to the Executive Director of Salish Sea Expeditions about my experience with one of the speakers, a senior from a local High School. After the letter, you will find the text of her speech. I wish I could take credit for the power of the writing but the draft, as sent to me, required very little in the way of change. I post this account first, to demonstrate the what happens when we are mindful of what comes to us on a daily basis. More important, I want you to enjoy the experience of this powerful individual that was able to draw attention to some crucial issues that deserve our attention and support. Here's the letter as addressed to: Stephen Streufert, Executive Director - Salish Sea Expeditions.
Sometimes, there are opportunities in life that if you are not looking will pass you by. The sad thing about these opportunities is that, if you cannot see them, you never know what you missed. Tonight, I am so happy I was looking this time.
How fortunate we both persevered and this morning became possible. It was awesome watching you reach the audience and it felt good to make a small contribution. Your business acumen and intuition are admirable. Your ability to translate your experiences, both personal and professional, into the written word and then the spoken delivery is a gift you share with precision and excellence. In your present position, your passionate leadership inspires much needed growth and change to the public’s awareness of both (Puget) Sound and Science. In fact, what you are doing here now, may one day be viewed as the time a global seed was planted and nurtured so it when it stands alone, it will survive.
And then…I watched a girl taking her first steps as a young woman...a young woman of science and of speech truly feel the gifts with which she has been blessed. Professionally, I can recall the thrill of selling out and walking onto the stages of Carnegie Hall and Kennedy Center and breaking open the microphone for the first day of my national radio broadcast; so-called peak experiences. I say so-called because what happened this morning eclipsed any feeling I have ever had as a part of the speakers’ world. With those few steps from the front of the room to the podium, God’s grace was shining for all of us to see. As if carrying the sum total of what she is and what she will become in a brightly, wrapped package…she opened the gifts with perfect gesture, tone, pace and presence; better than a home run…a walk off grand slam by the rookie after a collection of professionally executed base hits.
I’ve had a great day!
And, here's the text of her speech: (the notations within the text are for pausing as I want you to feel the execution as well as the wording. 3 periods indicate a long pause, 2 periods a shorter pause. In public speaking the delivery is as important as the text and, as noted in my letter, the delivery was overwhelming. Enjoy!).
Hi…I’m Kat Sawyer and I’m a senior at Bainbridge High School. Last spring, I went on a 3 day voyage with Salish and 25 of my classmates. The trip was awesome … and I’d like to tell you what happened!
Going into this…I initially had several concerns…I’m not…and never have been … a science-oriented .. or sailing-oriented person. Just the thought of not showering for three days was not particularly appealing! By the end of the first day .. all of these concerns ceased to exist .. and by the end of the voyage, I was so happy that I had decided to go!
When I first got on the Carlyn, I realized I was surrounded by an absolutely incredible staff. Each of the Salish educators was kind.. supportive .. and smart. During my three days, I learned about the various aspects of sailing; hoisting sails .. tying knots .. navigating, and so much more. I ended up doing a lot of cooking and cleaning too .. you might say that surprised my parents.
Mostly, though, I learned how to really work together with my group members, which I feel was incredibly important. In every moment .. in every experience .. we were challenged to just the right degree. Each day, the Salish team backed off more and more, so that we were forced to take on more responsibilities .. we met .. and conquered some very difficult challenges. By the third day, I realized how much of a confidence booster this was .. and how much confidence I had gained.
Yet, the heart of the Salish program is about science. We had the opportunity to incorporate what we were learning in the classroom into a real-life situation; there was no longer any simulated settings .. or simulated questions. We were living science!
My group studied the question of what depths plankton and nutrients are most concentrated; at greater depths or nearer to the surface. To gather the data, I learned to use various types of science equipment, and I really had to understand every aspect of our experiment/investigative question. I was part of each step of the process; from collecting data .. to organizing it .. to analyzing it.
Looking back at this expedition, and this opportunity, I know it made a big difference for me .. and, for my classmates. One of the girls at the end of the voyage said, “I’m seriously reconsidering my college plans next year. I think I may want to do something like this instead.” If the reactions I noticed were collected data, I’d say in some way, she spoke for all of us. For a few days, we were no longer just students, we were practicing scientists!
The program had us all involved and definitely ignited our interest in science .. in sailing .. and in the Puget Sound. Ultimately.. I’m always going to remember the skills and knowledge I acquired, the confidence I gained, and the friends I made. This is absolutely an amazing program and I believe it should be implemented in every school.
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