Member Spotlight: The Sewell Family

Meet this month’s Member Spotlight! Duffy and his granddaughters, Bela and Vida, have been members since the Museum reopened in May 2021. Duffy first brought his daughters, Sasha and Amanda, to the Museum’s original location in La Jolla, and now shares trips to the current downtown Museum with his granddaughters!

Tell us about you and your family!

Duffy: During my 43-year career in the Navy I’ve traveled all over the world! However, my family has always loved our time in San Diego. When my daughters were kids, we would go to the Children’s Museum when it first opened in the 80’s in La Jolla. They loved it so much that when they became older and had kids of their own, we couldn’t wait to bring the grandbabies! While we have visited over the years, we knew we had to get a membership as soon as the Museum reopened this past summer!

What brought you to the Museum?

D: Our time at The New Children’s Museum was always a fun time for us as a family, and when I realized my granddaughters were at the perfect age for visiting, the Museum jumped to the top of our list!

What is your family’s favorite Museum experience?

D: We were reinvigorated by seeing all the thought and intentionality of the art installations the Museum had and just added. These past two years have been so hard for everyone and it was healing to be back in a space with children’s laughter. My granddaughter, Bela, loves Whammock! The art at the Museum builds confidence and resilience. It’s become a space for my grandkids to grow in those skills.

Any fun facts about you?

D: I was a Special Forces Navy Diver, and was the only African American partnered with the only female to graduate from Little Creek Naval Station Deep Sea Salvage Diving School in Virginia. Now I’m focused on volunteering through my church, reaching out to marginalized communities and providing teen enrichment to help grow this next generation.

Interested in being featured in our Member Spotlight next month? Please fill out our member spotlight questionnaire! Don’t have a membership? Learn more about our membership levels and perks here.