Massachusetts Maritime Academy LT Governor Polito Welcome Home TS Kennedy Cadets and Crew to take place June 23

Massachusetts Maritime Academy, Lt Governor Karyn Polito, State Officials And Cadet Families Welcome Home The Training Ship Kennedy, Cadets And Crew.

State supports new labs on MMA campus

BUZZARDS BAY, MA – June 23, 2021 – Today, LT Governor Karyn Polito, Massachusetts Secretary Marylou Sudder (Sec. Health and Human Services), Massachusetts Secretary James Peyser (Sec. Education), State Senator Susan Moran, State Representative David Vieira, State Representative Steven Xiarhos, and cadet families joined Rear Admiral Francis X. McDonald, USMS, President of the Massachusetts Maritime Academy (MMA), on Taylor’s Point in Buzzards Bay, MA, to welcome back the Training Ship Kennedy and more than 400 cadets from sea.

The 540’ TS Kennedy departed the MMA campus on May 30 for the 26-day voyage on which cadets took part in training evolutions including anchor drills off the coast of Mayaguez, Puerto Rico; loading provisions off of Miami, FL; and navigating under the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge through the East River of New York City and out Long Island Sound.

“This is an absolute triumph. After more than a year of lock down, we’re happy that our cadets could take part in Sea Term in a safe environment,” said McDonald. “The hands-on experience our students gain in navigation, ship maintenance and repair, emergency drills, ship operations, and watchkeeping truly prepares them for careers as the next generation of mariners.”

Hosting Massachusetts elected officials on campus for the return of the Kennedy allowed Admiral McDonald to acknowledge the critical support MMA received this past year and will benefit from in the future.

The Academy was able to secure and administer 600 COVID vaccines for the ship’s cadets and crew that allowed cadets not only to acquire the required Coast Guard days at sea for training, but also return for an in-person Commencement on June 26th. “Receiving vaccines was critical to our ability to make Sea Term happen this year,” McDonald said. “We truly appreciate the work of Sec. Sudder and her staff to make this happen.”

On June 14, through the Baker-Polito FY22 Capital Plan, it was announced that MMA will receive $300,000 for new and renovated Science Labs on campus (total state bond investment of $16.7 million). “We’re excited and grateful to Gov. Baker and Lt. Gov. Polito for their support of our high-tech energy, engineering and science lab building that will include a focus on renewable and green energy as well as state of the art design “maker” space,” said McDonald. “This project leverages our longstanding workforce development success in high paying STEM fields and our unsurpassed career placement success.”

MMA is proud of its record of preparing students for careers on land and at sea. On June 26, more than 400 undergraduate and graduate students will receive their degrees from MMA. The Academy’s innovative approach to education that integrates professional industry experience into the academic curriculum averages an 85 percent graduation rate along with an equaled 85 percent placement rate.

“Preparing students for success after their time at MMA is our goal,” McDonald said. “Having the support of our local and state officials is critical. It’s an honor to have so many of our elected officials with us today to welcome back our cadets and see them ready to take on the future.”

About Massachusetts Maritime Academy (MMA): MMA is a fully accredited, four-year, co-educational state university offering Bachelor and Master of Science degrees that are highly regarded in the worldwide maritime industry and beyond. For more than 100 years, MMA has been preparing women and men for exciting and rewarding careers on land and sea. As the nation’s finest co-ed maritime college, MMA challenges students to succeed by balancing a unique regimented lifestyle with a typical four-year college environment. Located on Cape Cod, at the mouth of the scenic Cape Cod Canal, Massachusetts Maritime Academy is the ideal college to pursue the love for the ocean, concern for the environment, interest in math and science, and thirst for adventure.

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Contact:
Elizabeth B. Simmons, LP.D, CAPT MMA ‘97
Vice President of External Affairs
508.830.6683
[email protected]