Meet Elaine Church, a four-time SAS Lifelong Learner voyager, an active member of the SAS Lifelong Learner Council, a current Alumni Association Task Force member, and a member of the SAS 1963 Society. This incredibly active SAS alumni waited 16 years before she could join her first voyage–but, ever since embarking in 2012, her presence has held staying power across so many SAS communities. A tax attorney whose expansive career spanned work for the IRS, a U.S. Congress Joint Committee, and PricewaterhouseCoopers, Elaine first heard of SAS in 1996 while in a bar in Shanghai on a personal trip. She happened to meet a former voyager in a bar and heard all about the Semester at Sea program. At that moment, Elaine made a note to herself that she would also sail someday. And, in 2012, she’d retired and finally had the time to fulfill that promise.
Elaine made the trek from Arlington, VA – her home for more than 40 years – and joined her first voyage as a Lifelong Learner in a five-week “Maymester” sailing on the MV Explorer. On that voyage, she visited Costa Rica, Peru, Ecuador, Panama, and Belize, among other destinations, igniting a fire in her to join several other voyages in the years following. “It was exciting to sail with so many eager young college students– to share classes, field trips, meals, and excursions with them on a daily basis,” Elaine said. “It was a joy to see them mature over the course of the voyage as they gained more experience abroad.”
After her initial voyage, Elaine joined again in 2013 for a five-week Enrichment Voyage. In 2014, Elaine joined a full voyage, embarking on the Spring voyage. And, in Fall 2016, she went once again–her first time on a new ship, MV World Odyssey.
For Elaine, the opportunity to make new friends and new “family members” has been one of the highlights of her many voyages. “I have always sailed on my own and made lots of new friends and remain in close contact with many of them,” Elaine said. “And I love hearing from my former ‘ship daughters’ (from SAS’s ‘extended families’ program) as they embark on, or advance in, their new careers.”
It is, in part, this ability to see her “extended family”– and the wider SAS alumni community – grow over time that also inspires Elaine to give as a member of the SAS 1963 Society. This honorary association was established in appreciation of those alumni, parents, faculty, staff, and friends who have included Semester at Sea in their estate plans through a bequest or a beneficiary designation on retirement assets, insurance, or bank accounts. “Being a member of the 1963 Society is my way of giving back and making sure Semester at Sea continues to grow and be available for future students,” Elaine said. “I want the program to continue for another 50, 100, or more years, and this is my way of making sure it happens.”
For Elaine, another key aspect of the Semester at Sea program that keeps her continually involved and giving has been the fact that SAS allows all of its voyagers the chance to learn and truly experience each culture along the way. “SAS is so different from commercial cruises. Instead of four to eight hours in a given port, we spend four to six days in each country. This enables everyone, including Lifelong Learners, to really learn about the country and to meet the locals in so many ways,” Elaine said. “SAS also offers excursions, in-home experiences, and impact excursions to local schools, orphanages, and similar organizations to enhance that learning process. Of course, you are able to see key tourist landmarks, but it is always set in the broader context of the country and its culture.”
For Elaine, when asked about her favorite SAS memories over the years, “the list goes on and on.” She said, “Whether rebuilding jaguar cages in Belize, seeing George the Galapagos turtle before he died, enjoying a safari at Kapama game park, visiting Indian temples in Kochi as well as Agra, sailing the Mekong to visit local villages, enjoying a SAS-arranged demonstration of the Catalan fire running ceremony–none of this would have been possible without Semester at Sea.SAS.”
When building on her own favorite SAS in-port memories, Elaine also always encourages Lifelong Learners to set sail, no matter the reason. “SAS is not just for students. Lifelong Learners are an important part of the shipboard community and it is not only retirees that can sail. We welcome families who are taking a mid-career break to introduce their children to the world; grandparents who are hosting their grandchildren; alumni who want to share their student experience with their partner, spouse, friends, or children; and parents of SAS students who would like to understand the life-changing experience enjoyed by their children.”
Through her many contributions to the SAS community, her advocacy of the Lifelong Learners program, and her commitments to the 1963 Society, Elaine plays an important part in ensuring that the magic of Semester at Sea is available to voyagers of all kinds for many years to come.
To learn more about The 1963 Society or to discuss your estate plan options, please contact the Planned Giving Team at giving@isevoyages.org.
