Jesse Kumbera
Growing up in a nautical family, I have always been fascinated by the sea. But my armchair sailing with authors like C.S. Forrester and Alexander Kent was no longer sufficient.  During high school, when my insatiable wanderlust and curiosity finally took control, I set off on a missions trip to Malawi, Africa. Since then, my life has been one adventure after another.  After finishing high school in Bellevue, Washington, I moved to Fullerton, California where I spent my days in class and my evenings and weekends working at the Disneyland Resort.  This May, I completed my Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology at Hope International University.  However, much of my senior year was spent traveling and studying abroad culminating in a global circumnavigation with Semester at Sea.  In addition to traveling at every chance I get, I also love sailing, flying, dancing, acting, and chasing my army of siblings about the house.  In fact, one of the driving forces in my life is my abnormally large and complicated family.  As the oldest of 11 siblings, my blended families certainly serve me life through a blender!  The excitement never ends!

I cannot express how excited I am to participate in this internship for the summer of 2008.  My siblings think I am going to be a pirate this summer, and that is fine by me!  In 2005, I attended the tall ships festival in Tacoma, Washington and decided that it was something I had to do.  This summer I am looking forward to learning as much as I possibly can while immersed in the world of sailtraining.  Some day I hope to combine my degree in psychology with my love of sailing; however, for now, I must content myself to sailing and exploring the world….what a rough life!

Jovanna Hart
Ahoy! This summer I will be interning for ASTA at the TALL SHIPS CHALLENGE® Series 2008 on the Pacific Coast. I just graduated from Ithaca College in Ithaca, New York with a B.S. in Integrated Marketing Communications. In the future, I’d like to apply my degree to a full-time career in advertising or event planning. That’s why I’m so excited to take part in Tall Ships, because it involves events as well as many other elements I enjoy including water activities and traveling.

I’ve been a competitive swimmer for 15 years including four years at Ithaca College. This past summer I was a member of the Cornell University Sailing Club where I became acquainted with small sailboats and the basics of sailing, and I was an intern for the Ithaca Downtown Partnership where I helped coordinate festivals and concerts. This internship with ASTA is a chance for me to combine these interests into one great experience.

Being an intern during the TALL SHIPS CHALLENGE® Series will give me the opportunity to work with the public and gain new skills. I’ve traveled a fair bit and I love working in new environments with new people, and quite honestly, I can’t think of a better way to do so then from the deck of a tall ship.  I hope to see you all there! Anchors away!