Educating a Community by Levi

Educating a Community by Levi - January 2024 Scholarship Essay

Growing up in Santa Cruz, the ocean has been the backdrop of my life and I have had to learn that it is not a force to be taken lightly. When I was twelve, a local surfer crashed into the cliff at Steamer Lane, the break where I surf nearly every day. He was an experienced professional who was left paralyzed. It was the first time I truly grasped how fierce the ocean can be. This could happen to any of us.
I started my ocean education at the age of seven participating in Junior Lifeguards, a summer program on the beach focused on teaching kids ocean safety through daily activities and competitions. It's a rite of passage in this town on the edge of the Pacific. I learned about swell patterns, rip currents and studied where the rocks are, where it’s shallow, where there’s a bowl, and where I can get trapped. I was taught that this thing we call the ocean is actually ever-shifting and never takes the same shape twice. My instructors worked with me to ensure that I knew how to keep myself free from danger. In doing that, they gave me the skills I needed to find peace in such an unpredictable force of nature. Now I hope to do the same for the next generation.
At age 15, I volunteered as an Assistant Instructor through the Captain Corps program of Junior Lifeguards. Spending my summer volunteering offered me the opportunity to develop my leadership skills and learn effective teamwork and communication skills. One year later, I became a Beach Lifeguard and a full time Instructor in the program, continuing to teach kids about the ocean’s patterns. I have seen kids who were terrified to get in the water on the first day of the Junior Guards summer program become the most enthusiastic by the last. What is most important to me is to help them in that process. By forming strong connections with students, I hope to equip them with the knowledge and the right mindset in the water to have a lifelong relationship with the ocean. What they choose in a given moment and how they react will determine their enjoyment and safety. I know I hold the responsibility to teach them skills and strategies so that they can stay calm when things get difficult, as I know they will.
In addition to serving my community as a Junior Lifeguard Instructor, I am also a Beach Lifeguard. In this role, I am a uniformed first responder, responsible for overseeing half a mile of beach on each tower shift. Whether visitors are swimming in the water or tanning on the beach, I remain focused because there is always a risk of injury, a water rescue, or a major medical situation. Being a uniformed first responder holds me accountable to a level of leadership and citizenship that requires professionalism, vigilance, collaboration and strong communication skills. I’m grateful to serve my community, as well as those who visit, by using my ocean expertise to foster safe experiences.
As ocean lovers, we form a community that benefits us as individuals, increasing our understanding of ocean safety and creating a sense of belonging. The community helps equip people with knowledge and experience that provides a foundation for lifelong activities. At the same time, the community benefits from the investment in each other. For example, it’s not uncommon for Junior Lifeguards to find themselves in situations acting as first responders. Last year, a surfer hit his head on a rock and was knocked unconscious. If not for the skills and courage of a Junior Lifeguard, who was just thirteen years old, the surfer would have drowned. As we support one another and share expertise, the community grows stronger.