Bryn Athyn College Alumni Magazine Spring/Summer 2017 | Page 16

ALUMNI
running SPOTLIGHT
header
“Living a useful life has been my
benchmark, and that came right out
of my experience with the College.”
Katya and Mark with daughters Cedar and Lamar.
and tearfully break the news to
us that the trip wasn’t going to
quite work out the way we want-
ed it to.” 
Appreciation for the
Gordons
These two sailing expeditions
left a lasting impression on Da-
vid: “My time with the Gordons
helped me realize that you can
have a family and do amazing
things at the same time! Their
attitudes toward adventure were
contagious, and they helped in-
still a confidence in me to try
new things and to dream big.
I’m impressed by the way they
balance family, work, and play,
and how they are committed to
living an extraordinary life while
still being connected to a stable
community with established
roots. I think their mission of
living a simple, grounded, min-
imal-impact lifestyle is truly in-
spiring, and I strive to be more
like that. I think I felt a particu-
lar connection to Mark, who was
on the quieter side (like me), but
had a soft twinkle in his eye and
had the look and demeanor of
someone who spent a life in the
outdoors.” David added, “Even
though I rarely see the Gordons
anymore, I still feel very close to
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them. They are very kind-heart-
ed, easy-going folks who wel-
come all with open arms.”
Joy found her time with the
Gordons influential as well. She
said, “I find the Gordon family
totally inspirational. I love that
they do their own thing and are
so self-reliant. They live close to
nature, eat healthy, and make
things themselves. It’s a breath
of fresh air in our frantic society
to meet such a grounded family
that moves to the beat of their
own drum.”
Future Hopes and Dreams
Now that their daughters are
hitting the teen years – Lamar
is 12 and Cedar is 14 – the Gor-
dons hope to offer sailing trips
for adolescents. As Katya said,
“If our girls are going to stay
interested, we need to include
their peers.” However, planning
around their daughters’ now
busy schedules has proven chal-
lenging (Cedar loves running,
and Lamar loves dance). They
know that their sailing voyages
will continue, though in exactly
what vein only time will tell.
Recently, the couple launched
a non-profit program called Sea
Change, in which they offer sailing
internships to carefully selected
students who are willing to
speak publicly and educate oth-
er youths and families about cli-
mate change. As Katya said, “For
me, living my New Church val-
ues means paying attention to
what’s happening in the world
around me. I resist the idea of
living in little pockets of com-
fort while the rest of the world
goes down. I am concerned with
the well-being of others and of
our earth.” She added, “I feel so
blessed to have found Mark and
my home here in Minnesota,
and to be able to live a useful
life. Living a useful life has been
my benchmark, and that came
right out of my experience with
the College.”
Final Message
Katya and Mark love helping
families and parents feel em-
powered to get off the “beaten
track.” While she does not be-
lieve that others must necessar-
ily follow her path, she encour-
ages people to choose a life that
fits with their values. She said,
“We decided to live on a boat.
It’s a more radical choice than
most would make, but anyone
can decide how they want to live.
Just make sure your priorities
are dictating your lifestyle, and
not the other way around.” 
To learn more about the Gordon
family’s sailing adventures, visit
www.amicusadventuresailing.com
and www.seachangeexpeditions.org.