WEBVTT 00:00:10.830 --> 00:00:13.550 Welcome to Students Incorporated. I'm your host, 00:00:13.589 --> 00:00:16.329 Mr. Jason. Join me weekly as my students and 00:00:16.329 --> 00:00:18.850 I bring you content that's informative, positive, 00:00:19.010 --> 00:00:21.809 fun and uplifting. This podcast is created and 00:00:21.809 --> 00:00:23.969 produced with the help of students from the International 00:00:23.969 --> 00:00:29.179 Community School of Bangkok. Hey, welcome back 00:00:29.179 --> 00:00:31.120 to Students Incorporated. I'm your host, Mr. 00:00:31.239 --> 00:00:33.820 Jason, and today we're exploring student innovation 00:00:33.820 --> 00:00:36.539 with special guest Patrick, a recent graduate 00:00:36.539 --> 00:00:39.380 who has bridged the gap between community college 00:00:39.380 --> 00:00:42.200 and NASA -level research through the Boracle 00:00:42.200 --> 00:00:45.079 Project. We're going to talk about the InnoEd 00:00:45.079 --> 00:00:48.020 mindset, the courage it takes to be a solopreneur, 00:00:48.020 --> 00:00:50.479 and how a journey that started at L .A. Pierce 00:00:50.479 --> 00:00:53.560 College led to the cutting edge of science. But 00:00:53.560 --> 00:00:55.240 that's not all. Later in the show, we'll bring 00:00:55.240 --> 00:00:58.000 you part three of our serial adventure story, 00:00:58.359 --> 00:01:01.219 The Mystery of St. Augustine. But first, let's 00:01:01.219 --> 00:01:02.579 hear our quote of the day and get some headline 00:01:02.579 --> 00:01:05.659 news. Our quote of the day comes from Steve Jobs, 00:01:05.840 --> 00:01:08.140 who famously noted, the only way to do great 00:01:08.140 --> 00:01:11.219 work is to love what you do. Often we mistake 00:01:11.219 --> 00:01:13.480 loving what you do for everything being easy 00:01:13.480 --> 00:01:16.219 or fun. But in reality, this quote is about resilience. 00:01:17.579 --> 00:01:19.799 Entrepreneurship is a marathon of problem solving, 00:01:19.980 --> 00:01:22.840 late nights and high stakes. If you don't love 00:01:22.840 --> 00:01:24.859 the mission, you'll run out of gas when the road 00:01:24.859 --> 00:01:28.340 gets steep. Loving your work is the secret weapon 00:01:28.340 --> 00:01:30.760 that turns obstacles into puzzles to be solved 00:01:30.760 --> 00:01:33.500 rather than roadblocks to be feared. It allows 00:01:33.500 --> 00:01:36.420 you to push past good enough and strive for great, 00:01:36.560 --> 00:01:39.400 simply because you care too much to deliver anything 00:01:39.400 --> 00:01:43.359 less. This love is the anchor that holds you 00:01:43.359 --> 00:01:45.700 steady, ensuring that even on the hardest days, 00:01:45.840 --> 00:01:48.859 you remember exactly why you started. And that's 00:01:48.859 --> 00:01:50.439 our quote of the day. Now on to some headline 00:01:50.439 --> 00:01:53.260 news. Thank you for a quote of the day. Now here's 00:01:53.260 --> 00:01:55.239 some headline news from around the world. Our 00:01:55.239 --> 00:01:57.299 first headlines come from Demand Sage and the 00:01:57.299 --> 00:01:59.680 World Bank. As of this year, the global gig economy 00:01:59.680 --> 00:02:02.040 has officially surged, with the market valuation 00:02:02.040 --> 00:02:06.480 projected to hit over $670 billion. What's even 00:02:06.480 --> 00:02:09.159 more fascinating is the demographic shift. Gen 00:02:09.159 --> 00:02:12.259 Z now makes up 30 % of this workforce. Experts 00:02:12.259 --> 00:02:15.020 are calling this the era of AI -powered solopreneur, 00:02:15.060 --> 00:02:18.039 thanks to new agentic AI tools. Individual creators 00:02:18.039 --> 00:02:20.439 are now able to scale their businesses to six 00:02:20.439 --> 00:02:23.199 -figures revenues without ever hiring a traditional 00:02:23.199 --> 00:02:26.009 team. It shows that the courage to be solopreneur 00:02:26.009 --> 00:02:28.310 is becoming a standard career path for a generation. 00:02:29.090 --> 00:02:31.969 Our next two headlines are about NASA. First, 00:02:32.129 --> 00:02:34.650 NASA launches the Orbit Challenge for Students 00:02:34.650 --> 00:02:37.370 Innovators. They have officially opened registration 00:02:37.370 --> 00:02:40.430 for the Orbit Challenge, which stands for Opportunities 00:02:40.430 --> 00:02:42.610 in Research, Business, Innovation, and Technology. 00:02:43.439 --> 00:02:46.120 This is a call specifically inviting community 00:02:46.120 --> 00:02:48.979 college and university students in the USA to 00:02:48.979 --> 00:02:51.800 take NASA's existing patents and turn them into 00:02:51.800 --> 00:02:54.180 real -world commercial products. This news is 00:02:54.180 --> 00:02:56.560 incredibly relevant to our guest today, as it 00:02:56.560 --> 00:02:58.520 proves that you don't need to be at a massive 00:02:58.520 --> 00:03:01.139 Ivy League school to take advantage of this opportunity. 00:03:01.580 --> 00:03:04.000 The door is wide open for student -led innovation 00:03:04.000 --> 00:03:07.919 in 2026. And finally, our second headline about 00:03:07.919 --> 00:03:10.479 NASA is also about the University of Cincinnati. 00:03:11.319 --> 00:03:13.580 The countdown has begun for the launch of Leopards 00:03:13.580 --> 00:03:15.960 at One, one of the first satellites entirely 00:03:15.960 --> 00:03:18.960 designed and led by a student team. The student 00:03:18.960 --> 00:03:21.319 -designed satellite is scheduled to deploy from 00:03:21.319 --> 00:03:23.800 the International Space Station soon. The satellite 00:03:23.800 --> 00:03:26.419 will test new lightweight materials that will 00:03:26.419 --> 00:03:29.180 be used to help protect future astronauts from 00:03:29.180 --> 00:03:32.210 space radiation. It's a massive win for students 00:03:32.210 --> 00:03:34.849 innovators, showing that when students are given 00:03:34.849 --> 00:03:37.050 the tools and the platform, they can also solve 00:03:37.050 --> 00:03:40.129 complex mysteries and problems. Thank you. And 00:03:40.129 --> 00:03:45.289 that's our headline news for this episode. Thank 00:03:45.289 --> 00:03:47.449 you for the quote in the headline news. It's 00:03:47.449 --> 00:03:49.810 time to talk with our special guest today. We've 00:03:49.810 --> 00:03:52.389 been hearing a lot lately about the NOED movement, 00:03:52.430 --> 00:03:54.969 and today we have a living example of that mindset 00:03:54.969 --> 00:03:58.490 in the studio. Joining us is Patrick, a student 00:03:58.490 --> 00:04:00.939 innovator. who has turned his academic journey 00:04:00.939 --> 00:04:04.400 into a launchpad for high -level research. Patrick, 00:04:04.500 --> 00:04:06.919 welcome to the show. Josiah will get us started 00:04:06.919 --> 00:04:09.639 with our first question. All right, welcome to 00:04:09.639 --> 00:04:11.840 the show, Mr. Patrick. Please introduce yourself 00:04:11.840 --> 00:04:14.840 and tell us a little bit about what you do. Thank 00:04:14.840 --> 00:04:17.500 you so much for having me, first of all. And 00:04:17.500 --> 00:04:19.899 I'm so excited to be here. My name is Patrick. 00:04:20.120 --> 00:04:25.279 I just graduated in 2025 from Cal State Northridge. 00:04:25.600 --> 00:04:28.629 My major is computer science, and I also... double 00:04:28.629 --> 00:04:31.689 minors in data science and mathematics. And even 00:04:31.689 --> 00:04:34.149 though I already graduated, but I'm still doing, 00:04:34.370 --> 00:04:38.970 involved in doing research. So actually, last 00:04:38.970 --> 00:04:42.889 month, our team just presented the research paper 00:04:42.889 --> 00:04:45.970 at a conference in the University of Nevada. 00:04:46.470 --> 00:04:51.170 And one of the paper, I serve as the lead author. 00:04:51.329 --> 00:04:54.009 Basically, that's it. And besides that, I'm trying 00:04:54.009 --> 00:04:58.769 to grow my social media presence. I want to share 00:04:58.769 --> 00:05:02.769 my stories more to students specifically to maybe 00:05:02.769 --> 00:05:06.269 inspire, to maybe motivate them to do something 00:05:06.269 --> 00:05:08.449 great, to do something outside of the comfort 00:05:08.449 --> 00:05:12.610 zone. And yeah, that's why I'm here. So we understand 00:05:12.610 --> 00:05:14.550 that you study in the United States. So could 00:05:14.550 --> 00:05:16.750 you please describe your college experience and 00:05:16.750 --> 00:05:19.009 that journey and how it's helping you today? 00:05:19.610 --> 00:05:24.189 I would say I wasn't a smart student or what 00:05:24.189 --> 00:05:27.089 they call like. I wasn't a successful student, 00:05:27.269 --> 00:05:30.149 let's say like that. Long story short, I got 00:05:30.149 --> 00:05:33.629 an F before in my high school and stuff like 00:05:33.629 --> 00:05:36.889 that. I got a zero from the final grade and stuff. 00:05:37.370 --> 00:05:43.509 And when I finished my high school, I didn't 00:05:43.509 --> 00:05:46.930 get accepted to any Thai universities back then. 00:05:47.430 --> 00:05:50.490 But for some reason, I had a dream that I wanted 00:05:50.490 --> 00:05:53.790 to go to the U .S. to study abroad. It was pretty 00:05:53.790 --> 00:05:57.000 crazy. And then I learned. I learned English. 00:05:57.139 --> 00:05:59.060 I learned English, like, pretty hard at that 00:05:59.060 --> 00:06:02.639 time. I couldn't speak. I couldn't write. I think 00:06:02.639 --> 00:06:06.699 I learned it about a year, like, by myself. And 00:06:06.699 --> 00:06:10.699 I finally took the IELTS test, and it was only 00:06:10.699 --> 00:06:15.439 4 .5. But then, for some reason, I keep researching 00:06:15.439 --> 00:06:17.980 for the path to go to the U .S., and I found 00:06:17.980 --> 00:06:22.089 a way to obtain my visa student. Based on the 00:06:22.089 --> 00:06:24.769 4 .5 score, which is I started from community 00:06:24.769 --> 00:06:29.009 college or CC. And then I was there for three 00:06:29.009 --> 00:06:31.189 years. I received three associate degrees and 00:06:31.189 --> 00:06:33.529 then transferred to Cal State Norwich, CSUN. 00:06:33.870 --> 00:06:37.209 In that transferring to California State, what 00:06:37.209 --> 00:06:39.990 challenges did you face in pursuing your higher 00:06:39.990 --> 00:06:44.970 degree? When transferring, luckily, all people 00:06:44.970 --> 00:06:48.220 that I met. were very nice, like the professor, 00:06:48.560 --> 00:06:53.379 the faculty advisor, friends, classmates. I think 00:06:53.379 --> 00:06:58.259 the main challenge I faced was back then when 00:06:58.259 --> 00:07:01.779 I was about to move from Thailand to the U .S. 00:07:01.779 --> 00:07:05.180 at first. Like my English is still like not really 00:07:05.180 --> 00:07:09.240 good and I have to do a lot of like hard working 00:07:09.240 --> 00:07:12.399 to keep up with, you know, like a new environment. 00:07:12.860 --> 00:07:16.000 Like I have never learned. the full curriculum 00:07:16.000 --> 00:07:18.740 in English before. I think the main challenge 00:07:18.740 --> 00:07:23.060 that I faced when transferring to CSUN is all 00:07:23.060 --> 00:07:28.360 about time management because I was doing NASA 00:07:28.360 --> 00:07:31.160 sponsored research. That was one side. And I 00:07:31.160 --> 00:07:35.660 also was a student research assistant in my school 00:07:35.660 --> 00:07:38.740 department. And also being a full -time student. 00:07:38.939 --> 00:07:42.560 So three of these like took all of my time already. 00:07:42.819 --> 00:07:46.529 And so... It's a lot to do, like maintaining 00:07:46.529 --> 00:07:52.889 a high GPA and also doing assignments from the 00:07:52.889 --> 00:07:56.350 class, but also doing research. You have to go 00:07:56.350 --> 00:07:59.029 to conference, prepare for presentation and stuff 00:07:59.029 --> 00:08:02.910 like that. So I have to learn to prioritize things 00:08:02.910 --> 00:08:06.810 ruthlessly and communicate with both the professors 00:08:06.810 --> 00:08:11.310 and the supervisors simultaneously. But honestly, 00:08:11.449 --> 00:08:15.879 the pressure is... taught me more than any single 00:08:15.879 --> 00:08:19.899 class. So I was really grateful for those opportunities 00:08:19.899 --> 00:08:23.100 that I had. You mentioned you got involved in 00:08:23.100 --> 00:08:25.439 the NASA -sponsored research activities. So could 00:08:25.439 --> 00:08:27.339 you please describe to us more how you got involved 00:08:27.339 --> 00:08:32.539 in that? So after transferring, I wanted to do 00:08:32.539 --> 00:08:35.200 research. I'm not sure why. I just want to try 00:08:35.200 --> 00:08:41.320 something new, try something excited. So I started 00:08:41.320 --> 00:08:45.730 to apply. to an undergraduate research position. 00:08:45.909 --> 00:08:50.850 Like, across the U .S., I remember maybe 50 or 00:08:50.850 --> 00:08:54.610 more applications. I got rejected from all of 00:08:54.610 --> 00:08:58.970 them. Like, my email is, like, rejected, unfortunately, 00:08:59.129 --> 00:09:03.190 unfortunately. Like, that. But for some reason, 00:09:03.250 --> 00:09:07.750 I'm not sure why. Like, at the very last day 00:09:07.750 --> 00:09:11.769 before the semester started, I got accepted to... 00:09:12.090 --> 00:09:15.809 This one, the NASA -sponsored research, under 00:09:15.809 --> 00:09:19.529 the organization called ARCS, which stands for 00:09:19.529 --> 00:09:23.929 Autonomy Research Center for STEAM. STEAM is 00:09:23.929 --> 00:09:27.769 STEM, but we add the H, which is humanity, and 00:09:27.769 --> 00:09:30.570 then the rest stay the same. But surprisingly, 00:09:30.690 --> 00:09:34.710 the topic that I was doing the research, I think 00:09:34.710 --> 00:09:37.789 that was my most interesting in, which is called 00:09:37.789 --> 00:09:39.769 Boracle, and I think we will talk about that 00:09:39.769 --> 00:09:45.299 later. To be honest, I think you just need to 00:09:45.299 --> 00:09:47.899 keep finding the way, and it's all about timing 00:09:47.899 --> 00:09:51.139 and, of course, a little bit of luck. Going back 00:09:51.139 --> 00:09:53.519 to that project of Boracle, can you please describe 00:09:53.519 --> 00:09:57.200 to us what that actually is? Okay, so Boracle 00:09:57.200 --> 00:10:01.139 is a really large project, which has several 00:10:01.139 --> 00:10:04.259 sub -teams inside. We have Boracle Marketplace, 00:10:04.460 --> 00:10:07.139 Boracle Platform, Boracle Application, and then 00:10:07.139 --> 00:10:12.179 the IA team. But essentially... we are dealing 00:10:12.179 --> 00:10:15.840 with the variable devices such as like anything 00:10:15.840 --> 00:10:17.679 that you can wear, basically like smartwatch, 00:10:17.899 --> 00:10:21.220 smart glasses, smart headband, even like smart 00:10:21.220 --> 00:10:25.399 socks, smart t -shirt. So out of that, the problem 00:10:25.399 --> 00:10:29.120 from the developer side is that the data that 00:10:29.120 --> 00:10:33.000 we have from them is like a mess. It's like totally 00:10:33.000 --> 00:10:36.820 all over the place. For example, even the same 00:10:36.820 --> 00:10:41.370 brand for the smartwatch, you have different 00:10:41.370 --> 00:10:47.230 format. Let's say Samsung for this one, for this 00:10:47.230 --> 00:10:50.950 specific type, they record like heart rate every 00:10:50.950 --> 00:10:53.649 10 minutes, but then another version might record 00:10:53.649 --> 00:10:58.190 like every 15 minutes or so. So protocol try 00:10:58.190 --> 00:11:00.610 to be a centralized platform where all the data 00:11:00.610 --> 00:11:04.549 from hundreds of companies being the same format, 00:11:04.669 --> 00:11:09.169 that essentially. But my work specifically in 00:11:09.169 --> 00:11:12.509 IAT, which stands for Intelligence Algorithm, 00:11:12.610 --> 00:11:18.830 basically does physiological data such as heart 00:11:18.830 --> 00:11:24.070 rate, HRV, SpO2, sleep data, all of that. We 00:11:24.070 --> 00:11:26.490 have that, so we use AI and data science techniques 00:11:26.490 --> 00:11:30.509 to deliver actionable health condition prognosis. 00:11:30.830 --> 00:11:35.190 So basically in the past, we have done... arrhythmia 00:11:35.190 --> 00:11:38.330 detection, which is one of the abnormal heart 00:11:38.330 --> 00:11:43.210 rate rhythm. But we also have built a model to 00:11:43.210 --> 00:11:48.070 improve sleep qualities, to detect stress. So 00:11:48.070 --> 00:11:52.190 stress detection, that's my main lead for the 00:11:52.190 --> 00:11:55.269 project. And also we do injury prediction, like 00:11:55.269 --> 00:12:00.129 soccer predictions and other stuff. So just to 00:12:00.129 --> 00:12:03.740 sum it in one sentence, my work is... AI and 00:12:03.740 --> 00:12:07.320 healthcare. That's really amazing to hear. So 00:12:07.320 --> 00:12:09.720 what has been one of the most exciting part of 00:12:09.720 --> 00:12:13.639 working on this type of project? Yeah, I learned 00:12:13.639 --> 00:12:18.340 so many things. I met so many professionals in 00:12:18.340 --> 00:12:22.000 various fields, including like those people with 00:12:22.000 --> 00:12:26.279 the highest status in NASA. And I have had a 00:12:26.279 --> 00:12:29.799 chance to present our work in several conferences. 00:12:30.730 --> 00:12:34.090 But the most exciting part is that we have to 00:12:34.090 --> 00:12:37.629 create something that has no direction, because 00:12:37.629 --> 00:12:40.610 it's a research. We basically build something 00:12:40.610 --> 00:12:44.929 that requires some novelty, and at the same time, 00:12:44.950 --> 00:12:47.669 we need to communicate and present well. So I 00:12:47.669 --> 00:12:50.889 had a conversation with the director of the organization, 00:12:51.750 --> 00:12:56.230 and it stuck with me since that day. And he said 00:12:56.230 --> 00:13:00.139 that I'm kind of professing here. If you are 00:13:00.139 --> 00:13:03.799 an engineering student, you cannot explain your 00:13:03.799 --> 00:13:06.460 work to all students in a way they can understand. 00:13:07.159 --> 00:13:11.779 Then your work is useless. So that's kind of 00:13:11.779 --> 00:13:17.039 harsh, but it's true, right? So I guess the exciting 00:13:17.039 --> 00:13:19.940 part for me is that I need to learn not only 00:13:19.940 --> 00:13:22.500 the technical skill, but also the communication 00:13:22.500 --> 00:13:27.730 skill. I think so many people like focus on technical 00:13:27.730 --> 00:13:29.809 skill and they're great, they're doing a great 00:13:29.809 --> 00:13:33.190 job, but then they cannot translate those into 00:13:33.190 --> 00:13:36.470 like to regular people to understand and that 00:13:36.470 --> 00:13:39.970 just stuck with them. So I think if you balance 00:13:39.970 --> 00:13:42.509 those, it's both important. All right, moving 00:13:42.509 --> 00:13:44.950 from what you have done, what does the future 00:13:44.950 --> 00:13:47.049 hold for you? What are some of your big dreams? 00:13:48.210 --> 00:13:50.350 That's a really good question. And honestly, 00:13:50.429 --> 00:13:54.730 it's a hard one too. Right now, I'm taking some 00:13:54.730 --> 00:13:58.490 time to explore and reflect after graduation, 00:13:58.750 --> 00:14:04.350 to be honest. I'm really interested in how AI 00:14:04.350 --> 00:14:08.809 is transforming, not just in healthcare in my 00:14:08.809 --> 00:14:13.090 field, but every single industry. From the past 00:14:13.090 --> 00:14:15.690 three or five years now, everyone's talking about 00:14:15.690 --> 00:14:20.649 AI, right? But my big dream, I guess, is to create 00:14:20.649 --> 00:14:23.519 a space of... Or be part of creating a space 00:14:23.519 --> 00:14:26.620 where three things intersect for one another. 00:14:26.879 --> 00:14:30.220 So first it's AI and technology. And then humanities. 00:14:30.779 --> 00:14:33.759 And of course learning. Because I believe the 00:14:33.759 --> 00:14:37.299 future isn't just about building smarter AI anymore. 00:14:37.399 --> 00:14:41.259 I think the AI is just already beyond. But I 00:14:41.259 --> 00:14:44.480 think it's making sure that technology serves 00:14:44.480 --> 00:14:48.019 people in a meaningful way. By that I mean like, 00:14:48.080 --> 00:14:53.110 I think we also need to adapt. But then I don't 00:14:53.110 --> 00:14:56.769 think the goal is to replace human thinking. 00:14:56.909 --> 00:15:00.950 Like we still have to think. But then AI is a 00:15:00.950 --> 00:15:05.710 tool, not replacing the whole human. So what 00:15:05.710 --> 00:15:07.929 advice would you give to students graduating 00:15:07.929 --> 00:15:09.950 this year since you've experienced this already? 00:15:10.409 --> 00:15:13.570 Since we kind of touched on AI a little bit. 00:15:13.850 --> 00:15:18.070 So, you know, a lot of... I have been working 00:15:18.070 --> 00:15:23.929 for... a lot of students, and they always ask 00:15:23.929 --> 00:15:26.830 me, like, what skill to learn? Like, what subject 00:15:26.830 --> 00:15:30.450 should, you know, should they learn? And also, 00:15:30.509 --> 00:15:33.610 like, the school also concerns, like, oh, what 00:15:33.610 --> 00:15:35.450 subject should we add? What subject should we 00:15:35.450 --> 00:15:37.889 just cut it off? Like, the world is changing 00:15:37.889 --> 00:15:44.090 rapidly. But I think one skill that people often 00:15:44.090 --> 00:15:48.330 overlook is learning how to learn, because I 00:15:48.330 --> 00:15:52.250 think that's also a skill. If you pick the meta 00:15:52.250 --> 00:15:55.470 skill, you know how to learn, so you know how 00:15:55.470 --> 00:15:58.330 to pick things fast. Even though in the future, 00:15:58.490 --> 00:16:01.269 if the world is changing, but you still know 00:16:01.269 --> 00:16:03.649 how to learn that. You still know how to read, 00:16:03.750 --> 00:16:09.809 how to pick up something and then adapt. So I 00:16:09.809 --> 00:16:12.809 think it's first, don't just learn tools, but 00:16:12.809 --> 00:16:16.570 learn how to use the tools as well. And then 00:16:16.570 --> 00:16:19.870 second, just... Don't be afraid if your path 00:16:19.870 --> 00:16:23.990 doesn't look like everyone else, at least, like, 00:16:24.049 --> 00:16:29.610 for now. Like, the thing is that it's okay to 00:16:29.610 --> 00:16:32.950 not have it all figured out. If you ask me, like, 00:16:33.070 --> 00:16:35.809 what I'm going to do five years later from now, 00:16:35.889 --> 00:16:38.450 I probably don't know, like, exactly what I'm 00:16:38.450 --> 00:16:40.909 going to do. But it's just, you just need to 00:16:40.909 --> 00:16:45.500 step forward. And sometimes you just... Also 00:16:45.500 --> 00:16:48.960 have to open the door, even if it was the wrong 00:16:48.960 --> 00:16:52.779 door. But that can lead you to the right door. 00:16:52.899 --> 00:16:56.980 Like sometimes the detour is your own path. So, 00:16:56.980 --> 00:17:01.179 yeah. And lastly, always believe in yourself 00:17:01.179 --> 00:17:06.539 and don't let your dreams die. Yeah, I had every 00:17:06.539 --> 00:17:10.859 reason to quit since from the beginning when 00:17:10.859 --> 00:17:14.890 I got rejected from... any Thai universities, 00:17:15.009 --> 00:17:18.829 like got an F, like got a zero from the exam. 00:17:19.450 --> 00:17:25.769 And also I went to the US and that was crazy. 00:17:25.990 --> 00:17:27.950 And then someone said like, I'm not going to 00:17:27.950 --> 00:17:31.069 make it. And then now people ask why I'm not 00:17:31.069 --> 00:17:35.009 taking job there and leave. And it was like, 00:17:35.150 --> 00:17:37.630 no, I'm going to take another crazy path coming 00:17:37.630 --> 00:17:40.720 back and then I'll figure it out. Thank you, 00:17:40.740 --> 00:17:43.140 Patrick, for that good advice. Learning how to 00:17:43.140 --> 00:17:45.279 learn is probably one of the most important skills 00:17:45.279 --> 00:17:48.579 in our ever -changing society. And having confidence 00:17:48.579 --> 00:17:51.180 and believing that you can actually do it. All 00:17:51.180 --> 00:17:54.000 great advice. We'll take a short break now, and 00:17:54.000 --> 00:17:56.119 then when we return, we'll bring you part three 00:17:56.119 --> 00:17:58.400 of our adventure story titled The Mystery of 00:17:58.400 --> 00:18:01.299 St. Augustine. We'll be right back, so don't 00:18:01.299 --> 00:18:07.819 go away. One, two. In 2026, the race for top 00:18:07.819 --> 00:18:10.099 -tier internships is led by industry giants like 00:18:10.099 --> 00:18:12.859 NASA, Google, and Goldman Sachs, which remain 00:18:12.859 --> 00:18:15.640 the gold standard for resume prestige. However, 00:18:15.859 --> 00:18:17.759 the landscape has shifted toward high -growth 00:18:17.759 --> 00:18:20.220 sectors with AI, fintech, and sustainability 00:18:20.220 --> 00:18:22.720 offering the most competitive compensation and 00:18:22.720 --> 00:18:26.200 career acceleration. Companies like Adobe, Coinbase, 00:18:26.759 --> 00:18:29.640 SpaceX and McKinsey are heavily recruiting for 00:18:29.640 --> 00:18:31.839 specialized roles that bridge technical skill 00:18:31.839 --> 00:18:35.099 with strategic leadership, often offering competitive 00:18:35.099 --> 00:18:38.319 hourly rates for top candidates. Securing these 00:18:38.319 --> 00:18:41.099 positions requires immediate action as the recruitment 00:18:41.099 --> 00:18:43.220 cycle for elite programs is now highly front 00:18:43.220 --> 00:18:46.220 loaded. Many big four accounting firms and investment 00:18:46.220 --> 00:18:48.700 banks close their applications during the spring 00:18:48.700 --> 00:18:50.880 season, while tech roles are often filled on 00:18:50.880 --> 00:18:53.319 a rolling basis. To stand out, candidates must 00:18:53.319 --> 00:18:55.519 pivot away from generic applications and focus 00:18:55.519 --> 00:18:57.859 on building a strong digital brand and networking 00:18:57.859 --> 00:19:00.740 with former interns. The window for the most 00:19:00.740 --> 00:19:03.519 impactful 2026 opportunities is closing soon. 00:19:03.660 --> 00:19:05.880 Now is the time to submit your applications and 00:19:05.880 --> 00:19:13.519 finalize your interviews. And we are back. For 00:19:13.519 --> 00:19:15.579 this segment, we will bring you part three of 00:19:15.579 --> 00:19:18.019 our 10 -part adventure story titled The Mystery 00:19:18.019 --> 00:19:21.059 of St. Augustine. But before we jump into part 00:19:21.059 --> 00:19:35.920 three, here's a brief recap of part two. The 00:19:35.920 --> 00:19:38.900 El Dorado team arrived in St. Augustine, Florida. 00:19:39.220 --> 00:19:42.440 After a brief meal that gave them a lead on a 00:19:42.440 --> 00:19:45.099 local boat captain, they met with the Historical 00:19:45.099 --> 00:19:49.839 Society. They were met with a crisis. Their contact, 00:19:50.019 --> 00:19:53.799 Tom Reynolds, revealed that all the primary research 00:19:53.799 --> 00:19:57.519 documents for the project had been stolen from 00:19:57.519 --> 00:20:01.779 a secure safe. The theft, which left no trace 00:20:01.779 --> 00:20:06.319 of forced entry, effectively crippled their official 00:20:06.319 --> 00:20:09.960 mission before it could begin. As Lieutenant 00:20:09.960 --> 00:20:14.079 Walsh of the St. Augustine PD launched an investigation, 00:20:14.750 --> 00:20:18.390 Hawthorne and Amanda realized they now had to 00:20:18.390 --> 00:20:22.309 rely on their own secret, two -shipwreck theory, 00:20:22.609 --> 00:20:27.029 a clue unknown to anyone else. The team was then 00:20:27.029 --> 00:20:30.289 formally introduced via video call to their wealthy 00:20:30.289 --> 00:20:34.329 and friendly client, Eleanor Bennett, assuring 00:20:34.329 --> 00:20:37.289 her that they would move forward despite the 00:20:37.289 --> 00:20:41.269 snag, unaware that she had also hired the very 00:20:41.799 --> 00:20:46.700 rivals who had just sabotaged them. And now, 00:20:46.799 --> 00:20:51.119 without further ado, here's part three, titled 00:20:51.119 --> 00:21:00.480 The Theory. The team walked out of the Historical 00:21:00.480 --> 00:21:03.099 Society building and into the bright Florida 00:21:03.099 --> 00:21:06.119 morning sun. James Hawthorne was already halfway 00:21:06.119 --> 00:21:10.710 to the SUV, his pace fast and clipped. James, 00:21:10.750 --> 00:21:14.369 slow down, Ann said, catching his arm as he reached 00:21:14.369 --> 00:21:17.349 the vehicle. I know that walk. Something's on 00:21:17.349 --> 00:21:20.609 your mind. James stopped his hand on the door 00:21:20.609 --> 00:21:23.369 handle. He looked back at Ann, Amanda, and Olivia, 00:21:23.630 --> 00:21:27.230 who had just caught up. Yeah, sorry. He unknocked 00:21:27.230 --> 00:21:29.470 the car doors. Let's get in the vehicle and then 00:21:29.470 --> 00:21:32.569 we can talk. The group got into the vehicle, 00:21:32.769 --> 00:21:35.269 shutting the doors in sync, as James started 00:21:35.269 --> 00:21:38.289 the engine and turned on the air. Ann then asked, 00:21:38.730 --> 00:21:42.150 Okay, what's up? Hawthorne turned and looked 00:21:42.150 --> 00:21:44.710 at Amanda, then responded, All right, Amanda 00:21:44.710 --> 00:21:47.829 found evidence that there may be two shipwrecks, 00:21:47.849 --> 00:21:51.630 not just one, as everyone else believes. He continued, 00:21:51.890 --> 00:21:54.609 So I think we should go off this assumption, 00:21:54.670 --> 00:21:56.690 and I think we should not reveal this detail 00:21:56.690 --> 00:22:00.359 just yet to anybody else. Prof. Amanda jumped 00:22:00.359 --> 00:22:02.859 in and said, Yeah, I found evidence that there 00:22:02.859 --> 00:22:05.200 may have been two shipwrecks. There aren't a 00:22:05.200 --> 00:22:07.799 lot of details in the log information, but it 00:22:07.799 --> 00:22:10.559 is credible and to our knowledge. No one else 00:22:10.559 --> 00:22:13.980 is looking at this theory. Okay, so what does 00:22:13.980 --> 00:22:17.640 this mean for us then? Anne replied. Starting 00:22:17.640 --> 00:22:19.980 with what we know to date, after Sir Francis 00:22:19.980 --> 00:22:22.400 Drake plundered treasure in the Caribbean, he 00:22:22.400 --> 00:22:25.019 sailed to what is now North Florida and proceeded 00:22:25.019 --> 00:22:27.920 to pillage and burn the small Spanish settlement 00:22:27.920 --> 00:22:31.299 of St. Augustine, where we are now. Of course, 00:22:31.319 --> 00:22:34.339 it didn't look like this back then. St. Augustine 00:22:34.339 --> 00:22:37.119 back in the 1500s was a small Spanish settlement. 00:22:37.440 --> 00:22:40.519 St. Augustine predates the famous English settlements 00:22:40.519 --> 00:22:44.039 of Jamestown and Plymouth by decades. Amanda, 00:22:44.160 --> 00:22:46.420 fill in the gaps for me, please, as you are the 00:22:46.420 --> 00:22:48.950 expert on this. James said as he put the vehicle 00:22:48.950 --> 00:22:50.890 in drive and started to leave the parking lot 00:22:50.890 --> 00:22:54.369 of the Historical Society. Sure, Amanda replied 00:22:54.369 --> 00:22:57.390 and then said, Drake's expedition included over 00:22:57.390 --> 00:23:00.769 20 ships. The exact number of ships is in question, 00:23:00.849 --> 00:23:03.750 but it's assumed there were 23 ships in total, 00:23:03.869 --> 00:23:08.210 so this was not a small raiding party. She continued, 00:23:08.549 --> 00:23:11.690 Drake's raiding party included around 2 ,000 00:23:11.690 --> 00:23:15.279 men. Now, After they raided and burnt the small 00:23:15.279 --> 00:23:18.119 St. Augustine settlement to the ground, Drake 00:23:18.119 --> 00:23:21.079 and his ships left loaded with all their plunder 00:23:21.079 --> 00:23:24.079 and treasure. Gold records reported that Drake 00:23:24.079 --> 00:23:27.480 made off with at least 2 ,000 gold ducats. A 00:23:27.480 --> 00:23:30.480 ducat, which is a Dutch minted gold coin of around 00:23:30.480 --> 00:23:34.279 98 % pure gold, was used in Europe and other 00:23:34.279 --> 00:23:37.759 places as a medium of exchange for goods, services, 00:23:38.000 --> 00:23:41.000 and payments for work. It's thought that the 00:23:41.000 --> 00:23:44.119 2 ,000 gold coins stolen by Drake were the treasury 00:23:44.119 --> 00:23:47.119 reserves for the Spanish troops that were stationed 00:23:47.119 --> 00:23:50.720 at St. Augustine at that time. It's also reported 00:23:50.720 --> 00:23:53.500 that Drake and his men captured and removed at 00:23:53.500 --> 00:23:57.799 least 14 bronze cannons. These also held great 00:23:57.799 --> 00:24:01.140 value as well, often becoming the spoils of war, 00:24:01.319 --> 00:24:04.200 as you could say. Amanda paused for a moment 00:24:04.200 --> 00:24:06.720 and then said, Sorry, I hope I'm not boring you, 00:24:06.799 --> 00:24:10.079 but I think the details matter here. No. Please 00:24:10.079 --> 00:24:13.160 go on. This is fascinating, Anne said with a 00:24:13.160 --> 00:24:16.099 smile. Prophet Manda then continues. Now, there 00:24:16.099 --> 00:24:18.859 are small rumors, mostly among older English 00:24:18.859 --> 00:24:21.839 historians, that the plunder Drake stole from 00:24:21.839 --> 00:24:24.359 the settlement not only included the 14 cannons 00:24:24.359 --> 00:24:27.779 and the 2 ,000 gold coins, but also, and I quote 00:24:27.779 --> 00:24:31.319 here, other materials and contents of great value. 00:24:31.819 --> 00:24:35.019 Now, your guess is as good as mine as to what 00:24:35.019 --> 00:24:37.660 the other materials and contents of great value 00:24:37.660 --> 00:24:40.829 actually means. That's a mystery that has never 00:24:40.829 --> 00:24:44.410 been solved. What we do know is this. Though, 00:24:44.529 --> 00:24:47.289 the 14 bronze cannons made it back to England 00:24:47.289 --> 00:24:50.549 eventually. However, the 2 ,000 gold coins did 00:24:50.549 --> 00:24:53.970 not. In fact, they simply disappeared. By the 00:24:53.970 --> 00:24:57.130 way, just one gold coin weighs about 3 .5 grams. 00:24:57.410 --> 00:25:00.849 So, if each coin is 98 % pure gold and higher, 00:25:00.990 --> 00:25:03.789 that means that 2 ,000 gold coins would be worth 00:25:03.789 --> 00:25:06.349 around... Wait, one moment. I need my calculator 00:25:06.349 --> 00:25:09.420 to do this. Amanda paused a moment as she pulled 00:25:09.420 --> 00:25:11.940 out her phone to look up the value of gold today, 00:25:12.059 --> 00:25:14.700 as well as to use her calculator to do some math. 00:25:15.039 --> 00:25:17.259 She found the value of gold and then punched 00:25:17.259 --> 00:25:19.539 in the numbers on her calculator and then said, 00:25:19.660 --> 00:25:22.880 OK, we have 2000 gold coins weighing 3 .5 grams 00:25:22.880 --> 00:25:25.759 each, which comes out to a total of 7000 grams 00:25:25.759 --> 00:25:30.640 of gold. And gold today is worth about 140 US 00:25:30.640 --> 00:25:33.740 dollars per gram. So that puts the value of just 00:25:33.740 --> 00:25:37.380 the gold coins over one million dollars. Then, 00:25:37.480 --> 00:25:40.480 if you add the historic value to the coins, I 00:25:40.480 --> 00:25:43.500 would venture to guess just the gold coins alone 00:25:43.500 --> 00:25:46.400 are probably worth several hundred million dollars. 00:25:46.880 --> 00:25:49.740 Sounds about right to me, James butted in. Let 00:25:49.740 --> 00:25:51.859 me interrupt you for a minute, he continued. 00:25:52.099 --> 00:25:54.380 I'm still headed in the direction of the coast, 00:25:54.579 --> 00:25:57.279 hope that's okay. I figured we could drive up 00:25:57.279 --> 00:25:59.880 the coast a bit, not very far though, and it 00:25:59.880 --> 00:26:02.599 might help us understand the area. James then 00:26:02.599 --> 00:26:05.710 said, Amanda, please continue. Sure, that's a 00:26:05.710 --> 00:26:07.890 good idea, Amanda replied and then continued 00:26:07.890 --> 00:26:10.950 with her history lesson. After Drake left the 00:26:10.950 --> 00:26:13.869 ashes of St. Augustine, he and his armada of 00:26:13.869 --> 00:26:17.509 ships sailed north towards Roanoke. Only 22 ships 00:26:17.509 --> 00:26:20.490 were recorded as making it to the Roanoke colony, 00:26:20.690 --> 00:26:23.670 which is in present -day North Carolina. This 00:26:23.670 --> 00:26:26.670 all happened during the month of May in 1586. 00:26:27.029 --> 00:26:29.829 And if you know anything about that time of year, 00:26:30.009 --> 00:26:33.890 well, it's hurricane season. That makes sense. 00:26:34.150 --> 00:26:38.349 So you think that not one, but two of Drake's 00:26:38.349 --> 00:26:43.029 ships went down in a bad storm? Anne asked. Theoretically, 00:26:43.029 --> 00:26:45.650 yes, Amanda replied. There is still an argument 00:26:45.650 --> 00:26:48.690 as to how many ships actually left St. Augustine 00:26:48.690 --> 00:26:51.589 when they sailed north along the coastline. A 00:26:51.589 --> 00:26:55.289 dozen or so sources had said 23 ships pushed 00:26:55.289 --> 00:26:58.589 out from the harbor, and only one source has 00:26:58.589 --> 00:27:03.180 said 24 ships were counted. That one source contradicted 00:27:03.180 --> 00:27:07.440 all the other sources. Amanda continues, So, 00:27:07.460 --> 00:27:10.500 what happens when one source says something different 00:27:10.500 --> 00:27:12.759 than the other sources that are in agreement 00:27:12.759 --> 00:27:16.059 with each other? Typically, we disregard the 00:27:16.059 --> 00:27:18.640 one source as inaccurate and focus on the other 00:27:18.640 --> 00:27:21.079 sources that are in agreement. Anne replies, 00:27:21.920 --> 00:27:24.500 That's correct, and this is the normal practice 00:27:24.500 --> 00:27:27.759 in most academic disciplines. Amanda continues, 00:27:28.480 --> 00:27:31.579 99 % of the information I'm telling you is already 00:27:31.579 --> 00:27:34.160 public knowledge and has been for some time now. 00:27:34.440 --> 00:27:37.039 The public can access this information if they 00:27:37.039 --> 00:27:40.299 are willing to do the research, and most of it 00:27:40.299 --> 00:27:43.740 is taught in academia. The one big detail that 00:27:43.740 --> 00:27:46.460 is not taught in academia and is the reason I 00:27:46.460 --> 00:27:49.180 was so motivated to come on this trip is the 00:27:49.180 --> 00:27:51.950 two -ship wreck theory. Now, the other piece 00:27:51.950 --> 00:27:54.269 to this puzzle and what treasure hunters have 00:27:54.269 --> 00:27:56.650 been searching for is what many of those sources 00:27:56.650 --> 00:28:00.089 referred to as the Captain's Caja, the Captain's 00:28:00.089 --> 00:28:03.190 Strongbox. Some of the sources mentioned that 00:28:03.190 --> 00:28:06.029 a few survivors of the shipwreck were able to 00:28:06.029 --> 00:28:08.710 save the Captain's Caja before the ship sank. 00:28:09.630 --> 00:28:12.190 Supposedly, this particular strongbox belonged 00:28:12.190 --> 00:28:15.759 to Drake's personal treasury secretary. Back 00:28:15.759 --> 00:28:18.880 then, an armada's treasury secretary would help 00:28:18.880 --> 00:28:21.859 distribute payments to the other ship captains 00:28:21.859 --> 00:28:25.039 during their pirating adventures. The survivors, 00:28:25.339 --> 00:28:27.920 not wanting to get caught by pursuing Spanish 00:28:27.920 --> 00:28:31.500 soldiers, supposedly buried the box after they 00:28:31.500 --> 00:28:34.779 reached the shore. However, no one knows where 00:28:34.779 --> 00:28:38.440 they buried it. And there's no evidence that 00:28:38.440 --> 00:28:41.079 the pirates had ever returned and retrieved it. 00:28:41.599 --> 00:28:45.869 Interesting. Anne replied, so what was the contents 00:28:45.869 --> 00:28:50.049 of the captain's box? Do the sources say? Amanda 00:28:50.049 --> 00:28:53.250 answers with a slight grin. Well, I'm glad you 00:28:53.250 --> 00:28:56.609 asked. Supposedly, this particular caja, which 00:28:56.609 --> 00:28:59.829 is basically a small lock box, was kept in the 00:28:59.829 --> 00:29:03.150 captain's quarters. It was rumored to hold a 00:29:03.150 --> 00:29:05.710 bonus payment for each of the ship captains of 00:29:05.710 --> 00:29:08.619 Drake's fleet. The bonus was that each captain 00:29:08.619 --> 00:29:12.019 was going to receive a one -of -a -kind, specifically 00:29:12.019 --> 00:29:15.900 minted, pure gold Spanish coin once they all 00:29:15.900 --> 00:29:18.559 returned to England. Hawthorne, with his eyes 00:29:18.559 --> 00:29:21.339 on the road as he continues to drive up the outer 00:29:21.339 --> 00:29:24.420 coastline, jumps in and then says, The people 00:29:24.420 --> 00:29:26.900 who care about this story have all accepted the 00:29:26.900 --> 00:29:29.339 one shipwreck theory and believe it to be true, 00:29:29.440 --> 00:29:32.380 that it actually happened. those in academia, 00:29:32.720 --> 00:29:34.980 general historians, and historical societies, 00:29:35.240 --> 00:29:38.180 both here in the U .S. and in England. The Spanish 00:29:38.180 --> 00:29:40.440 also had an interest in this at some point in 00:29:40.440 --> 00:29:42.980 the past, since it was their gold and valuables 00:29:42.980 --> 00:29:46.000 that were taken. Amateurs and professional treasure 00:29:46.000 --> 00:29:49.160 hunters have accepted this theory as true. However, 00:29:49.319 --> 00:29:52.160 no one has yet found a shipwreck or the so -called 00:29:52.160 --> 00:29:55.279 Captain's Caja, or anything else for that matter. 00:29:55.559 --> 00:29:58.559 He continues. However, the one thing everyone 00:29:58.559 --> 00:30:02.140 agrees on is that there was a shipwreck. It happened 00:30:02.140 --> 00:30:05.000 somewhere between St. Augustine and Roanoke along 00:30:05.000 --> 00:30:08.779 the coastline. Anne then adds, so if Drake left 00:30:08.779 --> 00:30:13.000 St. Augustine with 24 ships, not 23 ships, and 00:30:13.000 --> 00:30:15.680 he arrived at the Roanoke colony with only 22 00:30:15.680 --> 00:30:18.220 ships, that means, according to your theory, 00:30:18.299 --> 00:30:21.099 two ships were lost at sea or sunk along the 00:30:21.099 --> 00:30:24.859 journey. Anne paused for a moment. and then asked 00:30:24.859 --> 00:30:27.200 the obvious question out loud that everyone else 00:30:27.200 --> 00:30:30.779 was thinking. So if professional treasure hunters 00:30:30.779 --> 00:30:33.319 backed by governments with lots of resources 00:30:33.319 --> 00:30:37.079 and money have yet to find just one of the shipwrecks, 00:30:37.200 --> 00:30:39.960 then what chance do we have of learning anything 00:30:39.960 --> 00:30:44.220 new, let alone the location of one but two shipwrecks? 00:30:50.019 --> 00:30:53.500 Meanwhile, chairs 3, 4, and 5 sat quietly in 00:30:53.500 --> 00:30:56.660 a small old minivan so as not to bring attention 00:30:56.660 --> 00:30:59.500 to themselves. They were parked just north of 00:30:59.500 --> 00:31:01.880 the Bridge of Lions and sitting in the main parking 00:31:01.880 --> 00:31:04.720 lot that serves Castillo de San Marcos National 00:31:04.720 --> 00:31:07.839 Monument, the old fort. They had conducted surveillance 00:31:07.839 --> 00:31:10.440 of the fort the day before and were now back 00:31:10.440 --> 00:31:12.819 again, just sitting in the car and waiting for 00:31:12.819 --> 00:31:15.480 orders on what to do next. They were quite bored 00:31:15.480 --> 00:31:17.700 and a little tired since this was not something 00:31:17.700 --> 00:31:19.680 they were accustomed to doing since joining the 00:31:19.680 --> 00:31:22.740 table. In fact, the longer they sat there in 00:31:22.740 --> 00:31:24.980 the car in the parking lot, the more they became 00:31:24.980 --> 00:31:27.359 uncomfortable. They didn't want to attract unwanted 00:31:27.359 --> 00:31:30.380 attention from the few security personnel who 00:31:30.380 --> 00:31:32.900 periodically made rounds. Third Chair looked 00:31:32.900 --> 00:31:35.440 down at his watch and then said, Man, we need 00:31:35.440 --> 00:31:38.160 to leave. We've been sitting here for over an 00:31:38.160 --> 00:31:40.799 hour this morning. The fort just opened to tourists, 00:31:40.920 --> 00:31:43.680 and we're increasingly looking more suspicious 00:31:43.680 --> 00:31:46.680 just by sitting here in the parking lot. I agree, 00:31:46.920 --> 00:31:49.339 fifth chair replied. I'm starting to feel a bit 00:31:49.339 --> 00:31:51.420 uncomfortable. Besides, we spent a good part 00:31:51.420 --> 00:31:53.119 of yesterday here, and we didn't really learn 00:31:53.119 --> 00:31:55.440 anything new. Maybe we should just leave and 00:31:55.440 --> 00:31:57.940 go somewhere else for the time being. No, man, 00:31:58.099 --> 00:32:00.319 fourth chair mumbled. You heard what second chair 00:32:00.319 --> 00:32:02.880 said to us. Stay put until we get new instructions. 00:32:03.680 --> 00:32:06.220 Just at that moment, third chair's phone dings. 00:32:06.420 --> 00:32:09.200 He pulls it out of his pocket, looks at the message, 00:32:09.420 --> 00:32:12.640 reads it, and then says, Hey guys, it's second 00:32:12.640 --> 00:32:15.079 chair finally. She's telling us to leave and 00:32:15.079 --> 00:32:17.680 meet us back at the safe house. I'm all for that, 00:32:17.759 --> 00:32:20.099 fifth chair replies and continues. What else 00:32:20.099 --> 00:32:22.980 does the message say? Third chair responds, We 00:32:22.980 --> 00:32:25.339 have a new directive from chair one, and we'll 00:32:25.339 --> 00:32:29.019 need to pack up for a few days. Hmm, interesting, 00:32:29.319 --> 00:32:31.920 fourth chair remarks. Anything's gotta be better 00:32:31.920 --> 00:32:33.900 than just sitting in this parking lot and watching 00:32:33.900 --> 00:32:35.740 tourists compete with each other for parking 00:32:35.740 --> 00:32:38.720 spaces. Third chair had already started the car, 00:32:38.880 --> 00:32:41.319 put it in reverse, and was backing out of their 00:32:41.319 --> 00:32:43.960 parking space while fourth chair was still speaking. 00:32:44.500 --> 00:32:47.900 Third chair then said, this place is a dead end 00:32:47.900 --> 00:32:51.039 anyway. And with that, chairs three, four, and 00:32:51.039 --> 00:32:53.880 five headed back to the safe house condo to meet 00:32:53.880 --> 00:32:55.940 with chairs two and six to get new instructions. 00:33:01.570 --> 00:33:04.329 James Hawthorne had parked the car at a pull 00:33:04.329 --> 00:33:07.569 -off lot, which sat a few meters off one of the 00:33:07.569 --> 00:33:09.730 public beaches just north of the city center. 00:33:10.190 --> 00:33:13.609 As Anne, Amanda, and Olivia were walking toward 00:33:13.609 --> 00:33:15.710 the small wooden stairs that led down to the 00:33:15.710 --> 00:33:19.109 sand, James read the signboard out loud which 00:33:19.109 --> 00:33:23.170 said, Welcome to South Ponte Verde Beach Recreation 00:33:23.170 --> 00:33:25.750 Area. Anne Hawthorne, who was walking in front 00:33:25.750 --> 00:33:29.009 of James, also commented, I forgot how beautiful 00:33:29.009 --> 00:33:31.910 this part of the country was. She continued as 00:33:31.910 --> 00:33:33.990 they all made their way down the old wooden steps 00:33:33.990 --> 00:33:37.430 leading down to the sandy beach. So, if we keep 00:33:37.430 --> 00:33:39.750 driving north, we eventually get to Jacksonville, 00:33:39.829 --> 00:33:42.829 right? Right, Amanda answered as she stopped 00:33:42.829 --> 00:33:45.490 walking on the hard sand and looked out toward 00:33:45.490 --> 00:33:48.690 the ocean. And right there in front of us, as 00:33:48.690 --> 00:33:51.569 far as I can see, is the Great Atlantic Ocean, 00:33:51.809 --> 00:33:54.589 James continued. Looking at the map here, this 00:33:54.589 --> 00:33:57.589 entire area seems to be quite shallow and marshy, 00:33:57.650 --> 00:34:00.789 probably not ideal for a large ship to get close 00:34:00.789 --> 00:34:03.710 to the shoreline. Ann then said, I think we should 00:34:03.710 --> 00:34:06.329 call that charter boating company and see if 00:34:06.329 --> 00:34:08.289 they could take us out on a quick trip around 00:34:08.289 --> 00:34:11.150 the harbor and up the coast a bit. It might be 00:34:11.150 --> 00:34:13.469 a good idea to see things from the water, to 00:34:13.469 --> 00:34:15.730 get a different perspective. James, you still 00:34:15.730 --> 00:34:17.429 have the business card you got from that guy 00:34:17.429 --> 00:34:20.409 at the restaurant, don't you? I think I do, James 00:34:20.409 --> 00:34:23.179 says as he reaches into his pockets. Ah, here 00:34:23.179 --> 00:34:26.300 it is. James reads a company and contact name 00:34:26.300 --> 00:34:30.219 on the card out loud. First Coast Charters. Robert 00:34:30.219 --> 00:34:33.679 Mitchell, owner. James then starts to punch the 00:34:33.679 --> 00:34:36.119 phone number into his phone and waits while it 00:34:36.119 --> 00:34:39.730 rings. Amanda then says, yeah, I like that idea. 00:34:39.829 --> 00:34:42.190 However, I may have to sit that one out since 00:34:42.190 --> 00:34:45.110 I get really bad motion sickness. I'm going to 00:34:45.110 --> 00:34:47.670 check in with Olivia over there. Looks like she's 00:34:47.670 --> 00:34:50.429 getting some great photos and videos. Anne, who's 00:34:50.429 --> 00:34:52.710 standing next to James, watches him wait while 00:34:52.710 --> 00:34:54.909 he has the phone to his ear, waiting for someone 00:34:54.909 --> 00:34:58.110 to pick up on the other end. She then asks, is 00:34:58.110 --> 00:35:00.110 anyone picking up? Hawthorne shakes his head 00:35:00.110 --> 00:35:02.650 no and then says, I'll let it ring a few more 00:35:02.650 --> 00:35:06.099 times. Just as he is saying that last sentence, 00:35:06.219 --> 00:35:08.659 a person on the other end answers. Bobby here, 00:35:08.900 --> 00:35:11.340 Robert Mitchell says with an excited and loud 00:35:11.340 --> 00:35:13.860 voice. Hawthorne, a little surprised by the loud 00:35:13.860 --> 00:35:16.579 answer on the other side of the phone, then says, 00:35:16.780 --> 00:35:20.059 Oh, hey, hello. My name is James Hawthorne, and 00:35:20.059 --> 00:35:22.300 I'd like to speak with Robert Mitchell, please, 00:35:22.380 --> 00:35:25.380 if he's available. That's me, sir. People around 00:35:25.380 --> 00:35:27.880 here just call me Bobby. I assume you have one 00:35:27.880 --> 00:35:30.059 of my business cards or found my number online. 00:35:30.320 --> 00:35:32.960 Bobby said with a half laugh. Oh yes, I've got 00:35:32.960 --> 00:35:35.840 your business card right here. Will over at Will's 00:35:35.840 --> 00:35:38.199 Seafood Bar and Grill gave it to me, Hawthorne 00:35:38.199 --> 00:35:41.400 replied. Yep, no problem, Bobby says. Will is 00:35:41.400 --> 00:35:43.940 always giving my card to out -of -towners. I 00:35:43.940 --> 00:35:46.059 swear I get a third of my business through him, 00:35:46.199 --> 00:35:49.440 Bobby continues. So what can I do for you, assuming 00:35:49.440 --> 00:35:51.739 you like to either go fishing, take a dinner 00:35:51.739 --> 00:35:54.260 cruise, or maybe both? Anne can hear the back 00:35:54.260 --> 00:35:56.179 -and -forth conversation James is having with 00:35:56.179 --> 00:35:59.420 Bobby. She taps James' arm and then says quietly, 00:35:59.719 --> 00:36:02.360 If we charter a boat, Don't forget to include 00:36:02.360 --> 00:36:05.239 our friends from the Historical Society. It would 00:36:05.239 --> 00:36:07.480 be helpful for them to come with us. Hawthorne 00:36:07.480 --> 00:36:10.380 nods his head and then answers Bobby, Well, neither. 00:36:10.619 --> 00:36:12.960 We'd really like to take more of a historical 00:36:12.960 --> 00:36:15.719 boat cruise through the harbor and then up the 00:36:15.719 --> 00:36:18.559 coastline for a short distance. We'd love to 00:36:18.559 --> 00:36:21.199 take the same route Sir Francis Drake took with 00:36:21.199 --> 00:36:24.480 his pirates. We are all kind of history nerds, 00:36:24.480 --> 00:36:27.079 if you know what I mean. Bobby responds, Okay, 00:36:27.199 --> 00:36:29.820 no problem. I can do that. How many people are 00:36:29.820 --> 00:36:32.070 we talking about? There could be five or six 00:36:32.070 --> 00:36:34.989 people in our party, James responds. Got it, 00:36:35.090 --> 00:36:37.909 Bobby says and then continues. We've got openings 00:36:37.909 --> 00:36:40.550 this week still with our large vessel. So what 00:36:40.550 --> 00:36:42.809 day are you thinking? Could you pencil us in 00:36:42.809 --> 00:36:45.070 for tomorrow? I hope that's not too short notice, 00:36:45.250 --> 00:36:48.309 James answers. Not at all, Bobby replies. I'll 00:36:48.309 --> 00:36:50.429 take you out personally. The weather looks to 00:36:50.429 --> 00:36:52.750 be quite nice in the morning. So come by our 00:36:52.750 --> 00:36:55.610 office down at the marina at 7 a .m. and we will 00:36:55.610 --> 00:36:58.250 try to push off around 7 .30. I'll have you back 00:36:58.250 --> 00:37:00.510 by noon at the latest. All right, that sounds 00:37:00.510 --> 00:37:02.650 good. Appreciate it. And we'll see you tomorrow 00:37:02.650 --> 00:37:05.590 morning at 7. And with that, James ends the call. 00:37:05.969 --> 00:37:08.510 Sounds like things are set for tomorrow, Ann 00:37:08.510 --> 00:37:11.409 says. Yeah, we'll just need to confirm how many 00:37:11.409 --> 00:37:13.909 of us will be going, and we can figure that out 00:37:13.909 --> 00:37:16.969 later once we reconnect with Tom. James looks 00:37:16.969 --> 00:37:19.809 down at his watch and then says, Let's head back 00:37:19.809 --> 00:37:22.110 to town. I think Amanda had a few more places 00:37:22.110 --> 00:37:24.769 we could visit today while we still have time. 00:37:25.289 --> 00:37:27.309 As the four made their way off the beach and 00:37:27.309 --> 00:37:30.230 got back in the vehicle, Amanda said, let's first 00:37:30.230 --> 00:37:33.090 go visit the Cathedral Basilica of St. Augustine, 00:37:33.190 --> 00:37:35.690 whose congregation is known as the oldest Christian 00:37:35.690 --> 00:37:38.909 congregation in the United States. Amanda continues 00:37:38.909 --> 00:37:41.989 as James starts driving back to St. Augustine. 00:37:42.130 --> 00:37:44.510 The actual church building itself wasn't around 00:37:44.510 --> 00:37:47.070 that early, as it was constructed in the late 00:37:47.070 --> 00:37:50.670 1700s and is now a national landmark. However, 00:37:50.909 --> 00:37:53.730 the congregation and its secrets date back to 00:37:53.730 --> 00:37:57.639 the 1560s. years before Drake pillaged the city. 00:37:58.199 --> 00:38:00.360 Anyway, maybe there's someone there we could 00:38:00.360 --> 00:38:03.500 talk to. Yup, it's in the GPS, and we can make 00:38:03.500 --> 00:38:06.119 a quick lunch stop along the way, if you're all 00:38:06.119 --> 00:38:09.360 up for it, James answers back. And replies, there 00:38:09.360 --> 00:38:12.199 you go again, always thinking about food first. 00:38:12.400 --> 00:38:15.559 But it does sound like a good idea. Yeah, let's 00:38:15.559 --> 00:38:18.469 do lunch first. That will give us time to coordinate 00:38:18.469 --> 00:38:21.429 our schedule with Tom. Maybe one of them can 00:38:21.429 --> 00:38:24.570 come with us this afternoon, Amanda says. Hawthorne 00:38:24.570 --> 00:38:26.809 looks into the rearview mirror at Amanda and 00:38:26.809 --> 00:38:30.309 Olivia and then says, To lunch it is. Know of 00:38:30.309 --> 00:38:38.550 any other good food spots we can check out? Amanda 00:38:38.550 --> 00:38:40.670 was pacing back and forth next to the large picture 00:38:40.670 --> 00:38:43.050 window in the condo, or what the table members 00:38:43.050 --> 00:38:45.570 were calling their safe house for now. Chair 00:38:45.570 --> 00:38:48.150 6 was relaxing on the big, fluffy, soft couch 00:38:48.150 --> 00:38:50.250 in the middle of the room, tapping away on her 00:38:50.250 --> 00:38:53.150 laptop. Any luck with getting the university 00:38:53.150 --> 00:38:56.670 IDs yet? Midnight asked 6. Yeah, I got a guy 00:38:56.670 --> 00:38:58.769 who said they will be delivered to P .O. Box 00:38:58.769 --> 00:39:01.369 32 by 4 o 'clock this afternoon, 6 responds. 00:39:01.909 --> 00:39:05.079 How reliable is this guy? Midnight asked. Well, 00:39:05.139 --> 00:39:07.099 I don't really know. With such short notice, 00:39:07.280 --> 00:39:09.440 I couldn't use our usual channel for this type 00:39:09.440 --> 00:39:11.940 of stuff. I had to find another backdoor network 00:39:11.940 --> 00:39:14.860 I've used in the past. Well, before joining our 00:39:14.860 --> 00:39:17.659 little group here. So, we'll see. And don't worry, 00:39:17.840 --> 00:39:20.280 I've covered our tracks. When we get the IDs, 00:39:20.460 --> 00:39:22.400 we just need to make sure the photos closely 00:39:22.400 --> 00:39:25.539 match the other chairs. Six explains. Just at 00:39:25.539 --> 00:39:27.880 that moment, Midnight hears Dakota knock on the 00:39:27.880 --> 00:39:30.710 condo's door. That must be the guides. She responds 00:39:30.710 --> 00:39:32.969 out loud as she walks over, looks at the security 00:39:32.969 --> 00:39:35.650 monitor, and then opens the door for chairs 3, 00:39:35.750 --> 00:39:39.289 4, and 5. Well, that was boring, chair 4 says 00:39:39.289 --> 00:39:41.769 as he enters through the door first, with 3 and 00:39:41.769 --> 00:39:44.690 5 following. We are back now and did what we 00:39:44.690 --> 00:39:47.230 were supposed to do. 3 replies as he looks at 00:39:47.230 --> 00:39:50.110 Midnight. He then asks, so what is our new directive? 00:39:50.409 --> 00:39:52.269 And please, tell me it's something more than 00:39:52.269 --> 00:39:55.309 surveillance work. It is, Midnight responded. 00:39:55.670 --> 00:39:57.969 Have a seat and I'll brief you. It won't be boring 00:39:57.969 --> 00:40:00.519 and it gets you out of town for a few days. Good, 00:40:00.539 --> 00:40:02.639 because hanging out down there, here in this 00:40:02.639 --> 00:40:05.400 little quiet Florida town, is making me feel 00:40:05.400 --> 00:40:07.440 like I should just retire and start living the 00:40:07.440 --> 00:40:10.780 local lifestyle. Five says with a bit of sarcasm. 00:40:11.099 --> 00:40:13.219 Six sure looks up from her laptop and replies, 00:40:13.519 --> 00:40:15.880 Very funny, Five. You and I both know that will 00:40:15.880 --> 00:40:17.920 never happen. You picked the wrong line of work, 00:40:18.019 --> 00:40:20.679 bro. As Chair Six pulls up a link on her laptop 00:40:20.679 --> 00:40:23.159 and connects it to the large TV, Midnight starts 00:40:23.159 --> 00:40:25.320 explaining the mission. You guys are heading 00:40:25.320 --> 00:40:27.619 to Jacksonville this evening for a few days and 00:40:27.619 --> 00:40:30.039 will be tasked with the following. Midnight paused 00:40:30.039 --> 00:40:32.500 for a moment, waiting for Six to pull up an image 00:40:32.500 --> 00:40:34.719 of Eleanor Bennett along with a street map of 00:40:34.719 --> 00:40:37.500 her home and her office. Here we go. Midnight 00:40:37.500 --> 00:40:39.920 continues. Find out all you can about this lady. 00:40:40.079 --> 00:40:42.420 According to First Chair, she is actually helping 00:40:42.420 --> 00:40:45.320 finance, unbeknownst to her, our little mission. 00:40:45.519 --> 00:40:48.360 And he believes she is also helping finance a 00:40:48.360 --> 00:40:51.159 small local team as well. Either way, we want 00:40:51.159 --> 00:40:52.940 to know more about her and what her motivation 00:40:52.940 --> 00:40:56.059 is. And we need to keep this super confidential 00:40:56.059 --> 00:40:59.250 as this is an internal table order. That's it. 00:40:59.389 --> 00:41:02.710 Five birds out. Another surveillance job? Chase 00:41:02.710 --> 00:41:05.510 Six notices Midnight's expression changes to 00:41:05.510 --> 00:41:08.170 annoyance, and then replies, well, if you'd be 00:41:08.170 --> 00:41:10.570 quiet, we can finish. Midnight continues while 00:41:10.570 --> 00:41:12.889 avoiding eye contact with Five. You will also 00:41:12.889 --> 00:41:15.070 gain access to the Forensics Research Lab at 00:41:15.070 --> 00:41:17.250 the University of North Florida, where you will 00:41:17.250 --> 00:41:19.550 authenticate one of these documents Six retrieved 00:41:19.550 --> 00:41:21.960 from the Historical Society. Minai holds the 00:41:21.960 --> 00:41:24.059 two old documents, now in protective plastic 00:41:24.059 --> 00:41:26.820 sleeves, while Six pulls up a campus map of the 00:41:26.820 --> 00:41:28.980 university, showing the exact building the lab 00:41:28.980 --> 00:41:32.099 is located. And how will we gain access? Four 00:41:32.099 --> 00:41:34.059 questions with a polite and professional tone. 00:41:34.539 --> 00:41:37.320 Thank you, and I'm glad you asked, Minai responds. 00:41:37.880 --> 00:41:40.679 Six, please explain. She then motions over to 00:41:40.679 --> 00:41:43.260 Chair Six. One of you will go to St. Augustine 00:41:43.260 --> 00:41:45.920 Post Office at 4 p .m. today and pick up a package 00:41:45.920 --> 00:41:49.739 from P .O. Box 32. Here's the key. She says this 00:41:49.739 --> 00:41:53.679 as she places the key to the PO box on the glass 00:41:53.679 --> 00:41:56.139 coffee table in the middle of the room. In it, 00:41:56.199 --> 00:41:58.280 you'll find a package containing three university 00:41:58.280 --> 00:42:01.639 IDs, which will allow you to access to the building 00:42:01.639 --> 00:42:04.920 and research lab on the UNF campus. Once in the 00:42:04.920 --> 00:42:06.880 lab, you will need to authenticate both of these 00:42:06.880 --> 00:42:09.739 documents. Without authentication, this entire 00:42:09.739 --> 00:42:12.079 thing can't move forward and we don't get paid. 00:42:12.179 --> 00:42:14.940 So this is a very important step. Chair 3, who 00:42:14.940 --> 00:42:17.119 had been very quiet up until this point, then 00:42:17.119 --> 00:42:19.860 says, Understood. We can do this and we'll do 00:42:19.860 --> 00:42:22.460 it. The document authentication should not take 00:42:22.460 --> 00:42:26.380 long, maybe a few hours max. And the other task, 00:42:26.519 --> 00:42:29.019 following Mrs. Bennett around, well, this could 00:42:29.019 --> 00:42:32.280 take a few days for us to gain some actionable 00:42:32.280 --> 00:42:34.920 insight First Chair would be happy with. He then 00:42:34.920 --> 00:42:37.559 says, I'll go get the package at the post office 00:42:37.559 --> 00:42:40.699 at Tor. Thank you, Midnight responds. Chair 6 00:42:40.699 --> 00:42:43.119 then adds, make sure you wear a plain hat when 00:42:43.119 --> 00:42:45.519 you approach and go inside the post office. There 00:42:45.519 --> 00:42:47.599 are cameras everywhere. The last thing we need 00:42:47.599 --> 00:42:50.619 is for your face to come up on a federal database 00:42:50.619 --> 00:42:53.780 somewhere. Understood and will do. 3 says as 00:42:53.780 --> 00:42:56.119 he walks into the condo's small kitchen, opens 00:42:56.119 --> 00:42:59.300 the refrigerator, and then curses out loud. Bleak. 00:42:59.360 --> 00:43:07.780 Come on, who drank the last Peroni? The El Dorado 00:43:07.780 --> 00:43:10.179 team had just finished their lunch and it was 00:43:10.179 --> 00:43:12.639 already close to 1 p .m. Amanda leaned forward 00:43:12.639 --> 00:43:15.639 and rested her elbows on the small cafe table, 00:43:15.780 --> 00:43:19.139 looked at Olivia and said, So what do you think? 00:43:19.159 --> 00:43:21.619 Is this what you thought it would be like? Olivia 00:43:21.619 --> 00:43:24.619 thought to herself and then said, I'm actually 00:43:24.619 --> 00:43:27.860 not sure what I expected. I mean, I'm basically 00:43:27.860 --> 00:43:30.420 just trying to capture what I can in photos and 00:43:30.420 --> 00:43:33.059 videos, when it's appropriate, of course. She 00:43:33.059 --> 00:43:35.780 continued, When I compare this to the Mexico 00:43:35.780 --> 00:43:38.219 trip, I like this experience better because I 00:43:38.219 --> 00:43:41.239 feel like my contribution here will be more valuable. 00:43:41.679 --> 00:43:44.699 And I'm excited to, in a way, be on a treasure 00:43:44.699 --> 00:43:47.539 hunt. Interesting, Amanda replied as she leaned 00:43:47.539 --> 00:43:50.079 back in her chair and smiled. I never really 00:43:50.079 --> 00:43:52.500 thought of it that way, that this trip is like 00:43:52.500 --> 00:43:55.579 a treasure hunt. It kind of adds a bit more excitement 00:43:55.579 --> 00:43:58.179 to our little adventure here. At that moment, 00:43:58.320 --> 00:44:00.980 Hawthorne walked up and said, I just took care 00:44:00.980 --> 00:44:03.760 of the bill. You guys ready to go? Yep, Amanda 00:44:03.760 --> 00:44:06.420 said as she and Olivia stood up from their table 00:44:06.420 --> 00:44:08.860 and started to make their way to the front door 00:44:08.860 --> 00:44:11.929 where Anne was already standing. We can head 00:44:11.929 --> 00:44:14.550 directly over to the church. I had a short call 00:44:14.550 --> 00:44:17.210 with Tom during lunch. Tom is still at the police 00:44:17.210 --> 00:44:20.449 station meeting with Lieutenant Walsh. So, he 00:44:20.449 --> 00:44:23.230 said, he's sending Cece to meet us at the church 00:44:23.230 --> 00:44:27.269 and to introduce us to John Tanner, the caretaker 00:44:27.269 --> 00:44:30.210 who lives on site. Tom said that Cece and John 00:44:30.210 --> 00:44:32.809 will be able to answer any questions we may have 00:44:32.809 --> 00:44:35.710 about the old church and any secrets it holds. 00:44:36.230 --> 00:44:39.480 And maybe... Just maybe. We'll find something 00:44:39.480 --> 00:45:08.659 to verify our theory. And that brings us to the 00:45:08.659 --> 00:45:11.440 end of this episode. From Patrick's insights 00:45:11.440 --> 00:45:14.719 on the learner's mindset and NASA research to 00:45:14.719 --> 00:45:17.900 part three of the mystery of St. Augustine. If 00:45:17.900 --> 00:45:20.159 you enjoyed this episode, please hit that subscribe 00:45:20.159 --> 00:45:23.539 button. Leave us a review and make sure to tune 00:45:23.539 --> 00:45:26.380 in next time as we continue to explore the stories 00:45:26.380 --> 00:45:29.719 that shape our world. And as always, this podcast 00:45:29.719 --> 00:45:32.099 will not be possible without the hard work and 00:45:32.099 --> 00:45:34.369 support. of our international student production 00:45:34.369 --> 00:45:36.690 team. All music and sound effects are courtesy 00:45:36.690 --> 00:45:40.349 of pixabay .com, a vibrant community of creatives 00:45:40.349 --> 00:45:43.449 sharing copyright -free images, videos, and music. 00:45:43.690 --> 00:45:46.090 And we're signing off until next time. We are 00:45:46.090 --> 00:45:48.429 Students Incorporated, because your voice matters.