Five IUP honors students flew to Florida for Spring Break 2023, aiming for the Dunedin Marina instead of the beach, where they boarded a 41-foot sailboat to begin their "Journey By Sail," an experiential learning opportunity supported in part by the Cook Honors College Achievement Fund.
Participants who literally "learned the ropes" as they lived aboard the SV Wind Star were Isabel Allerheiligen '26 (pre-medical biology, State College), Angel Flores '24 (economics, Gettysburg), James Saylor '25 (computer science/cybersecurity, State College), Asher Skyles '24 (physics/pre-engineering, Elderton) , and Ben Swanson '24 (economics, Kittanning).
The trip was organized by Kenneth Sherwood (Department of English), who regularly teaches in the Honors College and also advises the IUP Sailing Club.
The goals of the noncredit experience were nautical and social. The journey involved personal and team-building challenges—working with peers to operate the boat (hoisting sails, navigating, keeping a watch schedule, and cooking on board)—and immersion in the maritime history and ecology of the Florida Gulf Coast.
Skyles said, "I loved being given the ability to do the first-hand duties as a crew such as steering the vessel, or raising the sails," adding that "experiencing what it is like to be a true sailor at sea for a week was a unique opportunity… [that] I will remember for the rest of my life."
Sherwood reminds everyone in the IUP community that while a sailing adventure in Florida may be a once-in-a-lifetime experience, the Sailing Club teaches new members to sail every Sunday, weather permitting, during spring and fall semesters at nearby . Club information can be found on the as well as Facebook, Instagram, and Crimson Connect.
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