United States Merchant Marine Academy - Midships Yearbook (Kings Point, NY)

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THE SECRETARY OF TRANSPORTATION WASHINGTON, D.C. 20590 May 30, 2002 - of To the Class of 2002 It is a pleasure to congratulate each of you on your graduation from the United States Merchant Marine Academy. I am very proud of all of you, and you should be proud of yourselves. Your graduation represents a personal milestone. It carries with it an obligation of leadership, to yourself, to your community, and to your Nation. My confidence that you will meet these obligations is supported by what you have already accomplished. One extraordinary accomplishment during your time at Kings Point was the response to the emergency in New York Harbor following the September 11 terrorist attack. USMMA midshipmen moved immediately toward the World Trade Center, as did many others in the maritime community. Over the course of eight days, USMMA assets transported more than 1,500 firefighters, emergency medical technicians, police officers, and other rescue personnel. Midshipmen and members of the faculty and staff also moved several tons of food, water, rescue supplies and other material across the harbor to the staging area at North Cove. You learned first hand about the proud tradition of the U.S. Merchant Marine and the value of your training at the Academy. Each of you have demonstrated the skills, the motivation, and the unwavering dedication we need, and I look forward to each of you becoming future maritime industry leaders. I challenge you today to continue using your knowledge on behalf of your community and on behalf of your Nation. No maritime school in the world enjoys a finer reputation for excellence than Kings Point. Your job is to continue that tradition and add to its luster. As your futures unfold, I challenge you to continue to live the motto of this fine institution — ‘deeds not words.’ Again, congratulations and I bid you fair winds and following seas. I 18 19

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US. Department of Transportation Administrator 400 Seventh Street. S.W. Washington. D C. 20590 Maritime Administration MESSAGE TO THE UNITED STATES MERCHANT MARINE ACADEMY CLASS OF 2002 As an alumnus of the Academy, it is with great pleasure that I congratulate you, the graduating class of 2002. Your time at Kings Point has prepared you to face the challenges and opportunities that you will encounter as your careers progress. In these chosen careers, you will be expected to execute diverse tasks with every ounce of your energy and all of the competence, caring, and strength that you possess. America will need maritime leaders to confront unending challenges at sea, on inland waterways and in port terminals as traffic increases dramatically. With the events of September 11, the maritime industry is playing a critical role in homeland security. As a graduate, you will gain first-hand experience in this new environment, thus enabling you to enter this professional workforce with confidence and self-reliance. With the training you received at Kings Point, I am confident that you will succeed. I salute you—the future leaders of the American maritime industry. Captain William G. Schubert Maritime Administrator