What’s in Our Name

SailAway began with a simple desire: help a few kids learn to read. After months of doing just that, a name dropped into her awareness as founder Brenda Murphy drove the family’s big blue 8-passenger Dodge Ram van down I-40 shortly after creating a highly innovative approach to penmanship for a struggling student. With its nautical references, “SailAway” was the perfect name for her newly-developing literacy curriculum and tutorial service. The name fit as students and educators found Brenda’s curriculum and instructional methods made learning a breeze.

Many years later, a discussion about subliminal meanings in organizational and product names caused her to think about “SailAway.” Did the inspirational flash that created it have a deeper meaning? Early the next day, Thanksgiving morning, she received an answer to the first part of her prayer: “Sail” stood for “serve all in love.” That struck a chord; “serving all in love” had been the unspoken, unwritten motivational theme and heart-felt goal behind every operation and activity of the organization from its inception. The first quick inkling of understanding the message behind the name identified only the first word. What was the meaning of the second word? As an educational organization, the first “a” in “Away” refers to the services offered: “academic.” Because understanding and wisdom are bedrock organizational beliefs, the “w” represents “wisdom.” The second “a,” for “and,” would join something to the other letters in “Away.” “What could the “y” stand for?” That called for dictionary research that uncovered the ideal word, “yare.” “Yare” is a nautical term (what else!) meaning “quick, agile, lively; quick to the helm and easily maneuverable,” which affirms a SailAway educator’s steady, sure leadership in all situations.

So, SailAway’s motivation is to Serve All In Love; use solid, reliable Academic Wisdom when we teach and share with others; And Yare so we remain quick, agile, and lively in our leadership, direction, and response to all those we serve.