Meet Jacqueline Powers | Retired Math Teacher/ Steel Pan Musician/ Surf Enthusiast/Jimmy Buffett fan

We had the good fortune of connecting with Jacqueline Powers and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Jacqueline, what role has risk played in your life or career?
I believe that risk taking is an essential part of life. It helps you to learn about yourself and it helps to increase your confidence. Taking risks creates change in your life, you meet new people, and you develop emotional resilience because when you take on risk you must consider failure as a possible outcome leading you to learn and grow. I took a big risk many years ago when I accepted a sailing invitation (I had no prior sailing experience) to sail the Caribbean islands. The 50′ Gulfstar sloop began it’s voyage in Rhode Island and two of us sailed that vessel south to Florida, through the Bahamas, the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico on onward through the Virgin Islands, the Leeward and Windward Caribbean islands all the way to Trinidad. I lived aboard that boat in those beautiful islands for 3 years. I was quite the accomplished sailor when all was said and done. During that period I heard a lot of steel pan and tons of Jimmy Buffett in those islands and I became a big fan of both. This fostered my love for the sounds of the islands and at 49 years old it prompted me to take another big risk, I decided to learn to play the steel pan. Fast forward 10 years and I have my own steel band trio, Mango Jam Steel Band, and I play in a Jimmy Buffett tribute band, Jimmy’s Buffet. My love for the ocean and my time windsurfing in the Caribbean on that sailing adventure lead to an impulsive decision to learn to surf at 44 years old…I was hooked on day 1. Surfing and steel pan are a huge part of my daily life now. All of these risks lead to experiences that have richened my life tremendously. I have met the most amazing people and have traveled to amazing places.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I have always loved math and science. I have a BS in Physics and after graduating college and going on a couple of interviews I quickly realised that the “cubicle” life was not for me. It was not long afterward that I took off on the sailing adventure. Later, back on terra firma, I decided to go back to school for my teaching credential and master’s degree. I taught junior high math for a number of years. I have always enjoyed teenagers (particularly the much maligned 13/14 year olds) and the intersection of math and being with this age group was a perfect fit for me. It was important to make math fun and interesting for my students and not just a dreaded four letter word. In 2015 I retired from teaching as class sizes were growing (over 40 students in a class) and curriculum changes kept getting pushed through. My husband was completely supportive and so I decided to focus more on being present for my own teenaged children, rather than being bogged down with 200 homeworks/tests to deal with every day after school. I was in a community steel band at the time and decided to get more into the steel pan playing, occasionally flying off to workshops around the country and learning more about the history of the pan. I was meeting some players who would go on to become not only great friends but important mentors to me.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Oh, this is fun: I love to take visitors to La Jolla Cove to see the natural beauty of the sandstone cliffs and the population of sea lions. There is a beautiful lawn area and some nice walking paths.I would include a late afternoon stop at the Torrey Pines Glider port. This is a gem of a location where you can watch hang gliders launch off the cliff and sail back and forth. There is a small restaurant with sandwiches and drinks. Petco Park is a must in baseball season, an incredible ball park centred in downtown, an architectural beauty with cascading greenery, great local food and beer. Coronado always makes the list. I especially like to take bikes over on the ferry from the SD waterfront and bike around the island to really appreciate the quaintness, and ,of course, a stop at the historic Hotel Del Coronado with a bite to eat at Sheerwater. The street market on Saturdays in Little Italy is a winner, you can get wonderful produce, flowers and food…I love the crepes. After that I would head over to Shelter Island and explore a bit and settle in at the Bali Hai with its gorgeous views of downtown and its’ signature Mai Tai. A beach day or two (hopefully with surfing) are always on the list, generally in North County, Cardiff in particular. Must hit up Plumeria restaurant on the 101 in Encinitas for an ,all vegetarian, to die for good, Thai food. Bird Rock Coffee Roasters, also in Encinitas, for their divine spiced mocha latte, with its’ mouthwatering hints of cinnamon and cayenne. The San Diego Zoo is world class and not to be missed. If my company is interested in wineries, we head over to Rancho Guejito in Escondido or do the trek up to Temecula and make a day of hitting a number of excellent wineries. I would be on the hunt for some live music at all times during someone’s visit.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I would have to make a shoutout to my family. I grew up with 5 brothers and 1 sister. Surrounded by so many brothers, I was always pursuing “boy” hobbies- if you will. Having so many brothers really helped with my confidence. I was a very good athlete and I knew how to get a word in (speak up for myself) with such a big family. I come from a very small town (one square mile) in Long Island NY. At 12 years old I went to sign up for little league baseball with my brothers. and was told, “no way- no girls allowed”. I couldn’t believe it. I had been playing backyard baseball with my family as long as I could remember. Well, apparently, there had never been a girl in little league baseball anywhere on Long Island before. This was 1976. The next day my parents marched up to the school with me and made it 100% clear that their daughter was going to play little league. Some of the coaches quit, quite an outcry in a small town. Some parents yelled at me to “get in the kitchen” while I was up to bat. Despite the negativity and push back I had an amazing season, was a starting player for the All Star team and the town finally rallied around me. My parents and siblings gave me the support and encouragement I needed to stay strong and just do what I loved. Another example of “risk” leading to an amazing experience.

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