This episode of Voyage of Rediscovery features Jennifer Ja Birchim.
Back in 1998, we knew her as Jenn Ja, and she was a student at the University of California, Santa Barbara.
Originally from Hillsborough, CA, Jenn will tell us about how Semester at Sea gave her a newfound sense of freedom and a chance to create her own identity. She also highlights a commitment she made to herself in Fall 1998 that she maintains to this day.
Hop on board everyone, the ship is leaving.
Conversation with Jennifer Ja Birchim
Additional notes
Please excuse the quality of the footage of Jennifer. We recorded our conversation on Zoom, which compressed the final product. We attempted to improve the output in post-production as best we could. Portions featuring Alexander Kotler were recorded locally, via webcam, which resulted in a higher resolution recording.
This program also includes limited scenes from the original Fall 1998 participant video, photographed and edited by Skye Fitzgerald and executive produced by Marlin Darrah.
Jennifer Ja Birchim
Want to listen to the conversation instead?
All Voyage of Rediscovery conversations are also available in podcast form. You can access this episode by clicking here or pressing the “Listen” button on this page.
Donate to the Fall 1998 Scholarship Fund!
If you are able and inclined, consider giving the gift of Semester at Sea to a future scholar on behalf of the Fall 1998 voyage.
Learn more about the scholarship by clicking here, or by returning to the homepage.
Don’t disembark without a souvenir: Visit the Voyage of Rediscovery Store
Purchase your very own (limited edition) Voyage of Rediscovery souvenirs. All proceeds go toward offsetting the cost of this passion project.
Check out the store by clicking here, or by returning to the homepage.