Making Their Way to St. Maarten

Mother Nature decided to add some excitement and challenge to the travel plans of Broadreachers heading to the Caribbean for the second session of Underwater Discoveries and Underwater Discoveries Advanced... Volcanic explosions occurred on the island of Montserrat on Sunday, sending clouds of ash in to the air. Although our staff says the weather is gorgeous in St. Maarten, and Monserrat is 100 miles away, flights were cancelled Sunday and Monday morning, causing some real travel headaches. With that behind us, we look forward to everyone’s arrival this afternoon and evening! Although inconvenient, the volcanic activity will not affect our trips and we’re excited for a fantastic three weeks!

Broadreachers are working hard, along with their parents, airlines and Broadreach Headquaters to get to St. Maarten today. Flights are taking off and things are clearing up today! As you wait to hear about the Broadreachers safe arrival, you can learn a little about the leaders that are waiting for them in St. Maarten on their boat Valenza.

Joe Snodgrass
Joe joined Broadreach’s summer staff in the Caribbean six years ago as a sailing instructor. Over the years he has taught Broadreachers to sail on the Underwater Discoveries, Underwater Discoveries Advanced and Arc of the Caribbean programs. Joe spent four years in the United States Coast Guard as a Quartermaster and a Navigator. Currently, Joe is working on his B.S. in Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering from the University of New Orleans to accompany his B.S. in Maritime Administration from Texas A&M. Joe is looking forward to another great summer of sailing and diving with Broadreachers in the islands.

Tiffany Ingersoll
Tiffany is one of our many returning staff members and she’s excited for another great summer in the islands. Growing up in the Bahamas gave Tiffany a deep appreciation and understanding of the ocean. Blessed with a high energy level, Tiffany excelled at helping young students get their SCUBA certification when she worked for ProDive. She has also taught students about the environment through hands-on activities in nature with an outdoor environmental education program. Currently she is working toward her degree at Scripps College and she also substitute teaches.

Jordon McIlvain
Jordan spent several summers with Broadreach in the Caribbean, first as a participant, then as an Intern in Broadreach’s Divemaster program. Over the years, Jordan developed a passion for the ocean, as well as a love for teaching and working with young people in the outdoors. He is excited to help lead Broadreach trips this summer as a Dive Instructor. Currently working on his degree at Washington College, he has worked as a peer mentor and a counselor for teenagers and will bring with him these great communication skills.