by 
I have spent a lot of time reflecting on the idea of “community”. We can all be neatly grouped into our communities both within, and outside of, our careers. Each STEMSEAS 2026 2YC attendee spends a lot of time in the classroom. Several of us are married, some are parents, many of us are fond of our pets. Our interests are varied: from birdwatching, quilting, camping, hiking, biking, the list goes on. And yet, all our individual Venn diagrams overlapped here at STEMSEAS. Each one of us saw this opportunity and thought, perhaps there is a place here for us.
I am grateful that each one of us had these moments. Last night, this whole program, for me, came full circle when we started to participate in what one of my peers called STEAMSEAS. Our colleague, Janice, brought us small blank books to fill however we see fit aboard the ship. Us science folks approached it hesitantly – Janice is the true artist. We sat and talked about ideas for the books, how we can take what has occurred over the last 5 days and create it into a storyline.
The designs proposed were creative, colorful, and in one case, mechanical. We dove into Janice’s acrylic marker collection like kindergarteners with a new 96 count box of Crayola. The conversation, however, showed me the true colors of my new community. By accessing our creative sides, we opened up and shared with each other about our lives: the challenges of teaching at our respective colleges, the birthdays or anniversaries we are missing, while on the ship; big, planned summer trips… The walls came down and it felt like we were old friends exchanging life updates after time apart.
This is the part of STEMSEAS I have enjoyed most, so far. Getting to be constantly wowed by the brilliance and humanity of my peers, each of whom has chosen the uneasy 2YC path and sticks with it despite the challenges. Even though we will return to our wide-spread colleges next week, I am glad we will have this program and experience in common with each other.
I don’t know if there is a true secret to the success of our cohort, but I think our mentors gave us a proper foundation when we set up the “norms” of our cohort. Ted Lasso made an appearance when we all agreed (and signed) to meet these norms, to be inclusive, to be considerate, to be curious, and never judgmental.
