
Knox Senior Dives into Experiential Learning through SEA Semester
Lynch (front row, second from left) with her classmates and faculty. Photo taken by Soraya Simi.
"I spent quite a bit of time seasick, and in that vein spent some of my time on watch, steering the ship, making sure everything is functioning, et cetera," she said. "My watch group jokingly began calling me the ‘aloft lookout,' but it gave me time to study constellations and cloud formations as we sailed."
SEA Semester is one of more than 90 different programs worldwide that are available to Knox students.
During the program, students gathered data by snorkeling in coral reefs, and also visited the Marine Mammal Sanctuary of Silver Bank in the Dominican Republic to study whale behavior. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration scientist Dr. Genevieve Davis accompanied their expedition to gather acoustic data on humpback whale populations as part of the Caribbean Humpback Acoustic Monitoring Program (CHAMP).
Most significantly, said Lynch, SEA Semester challenges students to think critically, and she added that her greatest takeaway is how much she's capable of doing in such a short time.
"Because of the challenges of the program, I feel confident in my ability to solve problems in high-tension situations and come up with good solutions to complex and important problems," she said. "I feel more prepared to graduate and move into work that is truly challenging."
Published on March 29, 2018