Great Lakes Sailing Announces Mentors for Sail Her Dreams 2026!

Sail Her Dreams is a STEM Academy for girls between the ages 10-18. This week-long sailing adventure introduces girls to a whole new world, fostering personal growth and development. Each day, the girls will rotate through different stations where they’ll work on STEM-related projects like building simple machines, and conducting experiments, as well as hands-on sailing activities that teach them about navigation, teamwork, and boat mechanics. They will also hear from female role models who have built successful careers in STEM and sailing, sharing their personal journeys, challenges, and triumphs.

This year's female role models are now here and ready to be announced! We hope you are as excited as we are. 

Session 1: June 15-18 The Ecosystem Beneath the Surface

• Emma Miedema works as an environmental consultant for Gabriel Environmental, Chicagoland's industrial, commercial and residential development
• Natalia Szklaruk works to reduce the spread of non-native plants, animals, and pathogens in southern Lake Michigan by supporting science-based prevention strategies and pathway-specific initiatives.
• Janice Milanovich works to enhance Great Lakes literacy by connecting K-12 educators and their students to aquatic science.
• Kristin TePas works with the scientists in the U.S. EPA Great Lakes National Program Office to transfer their monitoring and research data into products and publications for the community decision-makers.

Session 2: June 22-25 Engineered Support for Athletes

• Jill Mecklenburger, Au.D., is a Principal Audiologist in the Global Audiology group at GN Hearing. She supports projects and research contributing to the development of new and innovative hearing aid technologies.
• Noma Shields is the Founder and CEO of the Youth Sports Science Institute (YSSI), a Chicago-based nonprofit advancing innovative education at the intersection of youth sports, data, and emerging technology.

Session 3: June 29-July 2 The Power of Pollinators & Native Plants

• Daisy Villarreal is the Assistant Operations Manager at Chicago Harbors/Suntex Marinas. She works with a robot called the trash skimmer, a robotic device that collects floating debris from the water’s surface—keeping our harbors clean and our ecosystems healthier.

Session 4: July 6-9 Data Collection for the Health of the Great Lakes

• Shelby Brunner has been a part of the GLOS team since 2020. Her work includes interfacing with the data platform operators, tracking observing technology trends, and contributing to scientific aspects of GLOS’ work.

Session 5: July 13 -16 Archaeological Discovery led by Museum Curator

• Madeline Crispell has been the curator of the Chicago Maritime Museum since September of 2023, where she's curated exhibitions on architectural photography and the Black Chicago impressionist James Bolivar Needham, among others. 
• Maddie Fernandez is a bilingual environmental science communicator with a B.A. in environmental studies and a minor in geography and industrial design. At Urban Rivers, she serves as the community outreach and programs manager, which means she's helping transform Chicago's waterways into wildlife sanctuaries through planning, coordinating, and building partnerships.

Session 6: July 20-23 Become a Biologist Led by the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District

• Erica Spiess is an aquatic biologist at the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago (MWRD), with over 12 years of experience in fish and wildlife biology. She holds an B.S. degree in fish, wildlife, and conservation biology, and a M.S. degree.
• Paula Brinkman Lowe is a Senior Environmental Research Technician, Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago.  She works with a team to perform much of the hands-on duties involved in monitoring water quality. As a Senior ERT she helps to organize and review the work of the four ERTs in her section.

Session 7: July 27-July 30 Sustainable Architecture

• Janet Olsen is the Founder of Material Element Studio. She got her BSAS and MA at the University of Nebraska. Throughout her career, she's led multi-disciplinary teams nationally and internationally for new construction, adaptive reuse, and renovation projects. 

In a world shaped by science and innovation, girls are still on the margins, representing just 16% of sailors and less than one-third of the STEM workforce. We provide young girls with the opportunity to combine hands-on sailing experiences with STEM education, fostering skills in science, technology, engineering, and math while building confidence and teamwork on the water. Join us in inspiring and shaping the future of young women — together, we can make waves of change.

To learn more about our mentors, visit our website!