Henry S., CWSF’21
“I can certainly say that the Chesapeake Watershed Semester was unlike anything I have done before,” says Shifrin, now a student at Northeastern University. “Visiting a small, watermen-based community like Smith Island, Maryland, or Wachapreague, Virginia, and learning about the environmental and economic challenges is a really great microcosm of what we see throughout the world. It really taught us how to go into those communities and figure out what issues they’re facing, and how we might be able to improve that.”
-Henry S., CWSF’19
Sydney N., CWSF’19
“Gunston & CWS prepared me in two ways - the first is they let you design your own schedule [...] so I was able to stack my AP Courses, which you need to get into the academy and the second thing is their small class sizes. They [USNA] produce some of the best leaders in the world [...] You have an academic major at the academy but you also major in leadership, and Gunston and the CWS Program instils a good sense of leadership and organization in each of its students."
- Sydney graduated from the United States Naval Academy and is now training to be a Navy Pilot in Pensacola, Florida.
Eleonor H., CWSF’24
As one of our overnight trips, CWS went to the Virginia Institute of Marine Science in Wachapreague, Virginia. We stayed in their dorms, and had access to their professional-grade lab. Almost every day that we were there, we had the opportunity to go out on the water and explore the nearby barrier islands, a nearby oyster reef, and many of the areas’ streams and natural waterways. At night, we were allowed into the lab and given access to a tank to keep any organisms that we found, and we had access to microscopes so that we could draw some of the critters. - Elenor H., CWSF’24
Annabelle B., CWSF’24
“I have loved seeing the differences in each of the bodies of water that we have paddled in, and I feel like I have a better and more tangible understanding of man’s relationship with the different water features of the Chesapeake Watershed and how these communities are in turn affected by these features.”
- Annabelle B., CWSF’24
Evie H., CWSF’21
“Evelyn's experiences throughout this semester continue to be unforgettable in the best of ways! Her sense of self and place in the world has expanded, and she now has so many ideas about the kind of work she wants to do. She's so impressed with everyone she's encountered during this journey. We couldn't be more pleased or grateful for the empowerment that she's gained.”
— Diane H., CWS Parent, F’21
Evie attended Montana State University and currently works as a River Guide for Alaska Mountain Guides.
Cole E., CWSF’18
“CWS has truly opened my eyes regarding what environmental issues this country and this watershed are facing, and not only the problems but potential solutions as well.”
— Cole E., CWS F’18
Cole went on to graduate from Christopher Newport University and is now the owner of Following Seas Guide Service, providing inshore fishing trips and relaxing cruises in the back Bays of Ocean City, Maryland.
Katie S., CWSF’18
“The most important thing I’ve learned this semester is something I can take with me wherever I go- I can do it... I kept that mindset with me, through every assignment, through every expedition, and at the end of it all, a semester later, I know I can do it, whatever it will be, from here on out.”
- Katie S., CWS F’18
Katie graduated from East Carolina University, and now works in nonprofit administration.