Castine Current
State Senator Emily Cain Speaks
The 12th Annual Student Life Awards Ceremony and banquet filled the evening of April
8, 2013. 151 students, the largest number ever, were recognized for their service to MMA,
to each other, to the town, and to their home communities. State Senator Emily Cain, the
youngest member at 24 to serve in the State House of Representatives before becoming a
state senator, gave a spirited keynote address. She spoke about her first exposure to MMA
when she served on the Education-Cultural Affairs Committee. She learned that MMA's
needs are "unique" and that MMA is "a place hard to get to but worth all the effort." Senator
Cain thanked all the students for their generous service and urged them to stretch their skills
"to the State of Maine, to the nation, and the world." At the end of her speech, she charged
the students to "join together to do more. Combine forces with others who value service;
change the world. Don't let this night be
your finest moment. Today is a great day
but it's only the beginning..."
After Senator Cain's address, awards were
given. The surprise award of the evening
State Senator Emily Cain
was the change of the name of the Mariner
Unsung Hero Award to the Sarah Hudson Unsung Hero Award in honor of Sarah Hudson,
associate professor of ship's medicine at MMA for over 25 years. Professor Hudson, the
2012 Mariner Unsung Hero, was asked to step forward to make the award to the next
recipient. By then, the entire audience was on its feet for a standing ovation. The 2013
recipient was Ryan King, financial analyst at MMA, who was cited for his clinics for the
Adams School children, for advising the new Snowshoe Club, for restarting the men's
and women's cross country teams, and for always being available to advise students. He
told the other award winners that "Life is a great adventure but I couldn't do any of this
without the tremendous support and understanding of my family."
The Mariner Pride Award went to the Junior Class Polar Bear Dip organizers for their
selfless contribution to their class and the Make-A-Wish Foundation. Finally, Professor
Patricia Bixel, emcee, called forth Mr. Gil Tenney, Castine resident, who started an award
in honor of his mother Phyllis Tenney, affectionately known during her many years at
MMA as "Mrs. T." Senior basketball star and respected scholar athlete, Benjamin Russell,
received the coveted Phyllis Tenney Award for reflecting in his community service the
high values of the beloved Mrs. T.
Professor Sarah Hudson and this year's
recipient of the Sarah Hudson Unsung
Hero Award, Ryan King
Maine Maritime Academy's Center for Student Success
By Mason Hall `13
When you were at Maine Maritime Academy, did you ever need help developing ideas and then writing any of your papers? Did you
find yourself struggling with math and physics, wondering if there was anywhere you could go to try to improve your comprehension of
the material? Today's MMA students have these and more resources at their disposal at the Center for Student Success, where they can
find the Writing Center, math and physics tutoring services, testing services, and quiet spaces to study. As Associate Academic Dean
and Accessibility Services Coordinator Dr. Joceline Boucher put it, the Center for Student Success is designed to "provide tutoring to all
students in need" - whether those needs be learning differences, a tricky physics homework problem, or overcoming writer's block.
Though individual tutoring and other services have existed for quite some time at MMA, the idea of consolidation of all student
services under one roof came from President Bill Brennan, with Academic Dean Dr. John Barlow providing instrumental initial support
for the project. Its culmination resulted in the beautifully designed Center for Student Success, located in the recently renovated Buoy
House. This across the board integration of academic support services provides students with a convenient central location to seek
assistance, and the Center staff does a superb job making students feel welcome, assessing their needs, and providing the tools for a
successful college career.
Continued on next page...
14 MARINER 2013 - Issue 2

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