Summer at Sea
Memorial student Alannah DeJong will be sailing the Pacific this summer on board the Statsraad Lehmkuhl, a tall ship that has been repurposed into a research and education vessel. OFI has sponsored Alannah and Dalhousie student Molly Wells to participate in a unique ocean sustainability course offered through the University of Bergen. Keep reading to learn about what first interested Alannah in OFI's Summer at Sea opportunity and check back for a recap of the journey when Alannah returns home at the end of the summer.
Introducing Alannah
Hi! My name is Alannah DeJong. I have a background in International Studies and Religious Studies and I’m now in the archaeology program at Memorial University of Newfoundland. I am a long-time mediocre guitar player, cafe frequenter, and thrift store shopper. I’ve also tried my hand at sewing and baking. I grew up in Ontario, and have since lived in New Brunswick, South Korea, and most recently, Newfoundland.
I applied for a spot in this course while studying archaeology part-time and teaching peacebuilding and English language in South Korea. I was also taking care of a community garden inspired by an organic gardening course I had attended in Kenya the previous year.
In this way, the opportunity to board the Statsraad Lehmkuhl presented itself as a synthesis of many of my interests: interdisciplinary and intercultural learning, academic challenge, activism, adventure, and sustainability. I am nervous about feeling seasick! I’ve been known to feel a little queasy on road trips and I’m not sure how I’ll hold up on a boat. The opportunity to connect with people from multiple academic disciplines to explore how each discipline can relate to ocean sustainability is what excites me most about this course. I also have a wild heart, and the chance to live on the ocean and experience something completely new is enchanting.
To see more updates on OFI's 2022 Summer at Sea, follow @chiletopalau on Instagram
