Welcome to the voyage log of the Tall Ship Semester for Girls 2006.  In these pages, our current crew of students will be chronicling their voyage.  You may read their journal entries, essays and poetry as well as see their faces as we sail over 2000 miles from March 23 to May 2, 2006.  Send us an email if you have questions and we’ll try and have one of our student’s reply:

Jamiylah Asaad: My name is Jamiylah Asaad. Before attending Tall Ships, I was a junior at MetWest High in Oakland. I joined this program for the traveling and the adventure. I also wanted to challenge myself and to become the responsible, dependable, and mature person I see myself being in the future.

Christine Fong: I was born and raised in the city of San Francisco: the greatest city in the world. I live in the Castro District where boundaries and cultures are crossed all the time. I have grown accustomed to appreciate individuality, courage, and the act of taking risks. When I heard about Tall Ship Semester for Girls through friends that did it last year, I never thought that I would be capable of achieving something that took so much commitment. But when I heard wonderful stories of the challenges and triumphs that came with the voyage, I decided that I would apply and start an experience of my own that would change my life. The experience so far has been amazing. I have learned only from raising money for the trip, that I can make whatever I put my mind to a reality. I am so excited to see what this experience brings, and where it will take me in my life.

Jane Marque: Hi, my name is Jane Marque. I was previously a junior at Gateway High School. When I was accepted into Tall Ships, I immediately thought, "Wow, this is going to change my life..." I am a strong believer in spontaneity because opportunities come up that may change your direction and going with the flow makes life all the more interesting. I never imagined that I would be sailing a ship in the Caribbean, but I feel that I was destined for this experience. Most people who know me know that I love to design. One of my favorite places to decorate and personalize is my room. I think in the future I may want to be a graphic designer or interior decorator. My other interests are going for runs or walks on the beach, dancing, being with friends, going to concerts in the park/ music, traveling, and taking random buses around the city. I am really excited about this semester and hope to learn a lot about myself and the world!

Mercedes Scott-Fowler: Mercedes Scott-Fowler: My name is Mercedes Scott-Fowler and last semester I attended Lowell High School. I love to do aerial static trapeze and have done so for six years. I consider myself a fairly active person, but on the contrary, I also enjoy reading and writing prose, for both myself and the people around me. I really wanted to be a part of this program because it seemed like something I would benefit from greatly; this program will help me learn to organize myself, keep motivated, and teach me discipline. The idea of getting a break from traditional high school experience for something as exceptional as Tall Ships was mind-blowing for me and I was ecstatic about being accepted. I can't wait to see what it has in store for me!

Melanie Sherbula: I am an outspoken open minded person, who loves a great challenge. I am an Irish, Mexican, Native American young woman and I am proud of who I am. I was born and raised in San Francisco California and have lived here my whole life. I am in the 11th grade at Jefferson High School in Daly City. The Tall Ship Semester for Girls program was introduced to me by Marcos and a few girls from the previous years. They gave an exciting presentation about the trip at my school. Once I heard what the program was all about I just knew that I didn't care how much it was going to cost - I had to go. I knew that my parents would be supportive in my decision, because they knew that my dream was always to see new things and travel around the world. There are a lot of things that I hope to get out of this experience. I hope that my out look on life is positive and more ambitious. Also I hope that I become a better and stronger person because of this and that I will have built a new level of confidence and independence. After this experience I will return to Jefferson and live out my senior year and hope to be at my best and do my best in and out of school. And of course after I graduate I will be going to college and hopefully starting my successful career.

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