Staff

As a child Richard always wanted to sail but opportunities were limited or non existent. As a teenager Richard immersed himself in river and mountain travel. When studying to become a teacher he explored ways of connecting school subjects to the natural world of land and oceans. He believes that high on a mountain peak or walking along a beach are unique places to explore the world around us and the impact humans have had on this ocean planet.

Eventually in the middle of the mountains in Northern England Richard crewed on a dinghy in a snow storm and he was hooked! Richard has instructed sailing, canoeing, mountaineering and wilderness skills in the UK and Canada, and became a Sea School instructor after the school's first instructor training course in 1995.

The impact of being with teenagers on a small open boat off Nova Scotia, or the winter wilderness, woods should not be underestimated. Richard feels privileged to see inner understanding; compassion and joy develop in the faces and eyes of his fellow crew and travelers whenever he does a Sea School trip. He believes in the Sea School because as an organization, we have worked hard to achieve our mission and provide opportunities to teenagers and adults from the full economic, social and cultural backgrounds represented in Nova Scotia and the word beyond.

David MacCulloch is a native of Halifax, Nova Scotia and he grew up sailing in the Northwest Arm. He has been sailing for as long as he can remember as his mom and dad have always sailed. He joined the sea school as a student at the age of 15, doing boat building and summer sailing programs and he has been on trips with the Sea School nearly every summer since.  He has sailed all around the Maritime provinces, south to Bermuda and the British Virgin Islands. He worked his way up from a participant, to Leading Crew to Assistant Instructor, then in 2007, David graduated to a Sea School Captain and began leading trips.  He loves living on and around boats, teaching people how to sail and exploring the coast of Nova Scotia. 

Keegan first came on a program with the Sea School in 2004 as a participant. He completed 4 sailing expeditions, both as a participant and as Leading Crew, as well as 3 wilderness trips with the Sea School and began working as an assistant instructor with the Sea School in the summer of 2009. He began working with youth through the Canadian Cadet Movement teaching music at summer camps and since then has become a Bosun in the Canadian Reserves. Keegan started sailing with the Cadet Movement, became hooked, and began taking Dinghy lessons at Dartmouth Yacht Club. Keegan is currently a music and history student at Dalhousie University. He maintains his boat skills through various courses with the Canadian Power Squadron, the Reserves, sailing with family and the Sea School.

Sophia Hopkins is the Program Recruitment and Logistics Coordinator for the Nova Scotia Sea School. Hired on as a “mature” Summer Student for three summers and eventually moving back to Halifax, after seven years in Holland, to join the Sea School full time and pursue her passion for outdoor education, experiential learning, and working with youth. Sophia has a BSc in Psychology from Dalhousie and an International Bachelor or Social Work from College of Amsterdam.

When studying to become a social worker, Sophia worked in Youth Crisis Intervention in Amsterdam and dreamed of connecting youth to the natural world of land and oceans. She believes in the Sea School because as an organization, we have worked hard to achieve our mission and provide opportunities to teenagers and adults from the full economic, social and cultural backgrounds represented in Nova Scotia and the world beyond.

Sophia comes from a background of playing competitive soccer; she played for the Dalhousie Tigers Women’s team from 2001-2006 and was the Captain of the team from 2004-2006. She credits her leadership style to the experience as highly competitive top athlete, working hard as a team to accomplish a common goal and encouraging the best in your teammates while being honest and trustworthy.

It is with deep sadness that we let you all know our dearest friend Zoë Nudell lost her life in a serious car accident on the eve of October 30th 2013, in Hamilton, Ontario.

Zoë is regarded as the heart of the Sea School; she was a friend to so many of us and to so many young people. She had been a part of the Sea School since the very beginning as a founding builder of our first boat 'Dorothea'. She quickly became an instructor and then Captain and has impacted hundreds of youth on expeditions over the past 18 years. Our hearts go out to David Nudell (Zoë's father) and Ben Gallagher (Zoë's partner) and to all the friends and family who have known and loved Zoë.

Eight years after Zoë sailed as a student on Dorothea's maiden voyage out of Halifax, she guided the second expedition boat - Elizabeth Hall - through her maiden voyage, this time as an assistant instructor. This past summer was Zoë's sixth season as expedition captain. A lifetime of working with young people and the sea instilled in Zoë confidence, enthusiasm, respect and admiration for other people and the elements. The most valuable learning - the one she most wanted to share - was an awareness of one's own abilities, interests, and the satisfaction of being engaged.

Zoë's passion for leading sailing expeditions was matched by a love of art and encouraging creativity in others. She was most recently excited about working with the Sea School to explore the transformative power of creativity with community groups, and was working with our partnership program, The Spot.

Zoë, we love you and will miss you endlessly.

Born in a raging december storm on darkest South Mountain, the wind imprinted his very soul, and his heart could not but follow.