MMA President's Watch
MMA President
DR. WILLIAM J. BRENNAN
Theacademicyearbeganwithtypicalexcite- MaineMaritimeAcademyisalthemorecritical. us.Atthattime,IreceivedanotefromMike
ment and energy: new students congregat-
As I have said to our students, and to many peo-
Winget, MMA Class of 1970, who, with his
ed on campus for orientation; I jumped off
ple I spoke with over the last month: while the
wife Kari, had just given an extremely generous
the ship again with our new students to mark the
sea is to be respected, the sea is not to be feared.
gift to the Trustee Scholarship for Diversity.
start of the MMA journey for the Class of 2019;
That is why we train, that is why we prepare, that
Through his gift, Mike wil enable students to
and then the ful community came together for
is why we are here.
come to Maine Maritime Academy to pursue
Convocation. In those few short weeks, many
Moving forward with our grief, we're also
their dreams. As he said, he hopes "...that some
new friends were made, and Maine Maritime
called upon to continue our regular routines. on
awesome kid gets the same shot at life that I did."
Academy welcomed 264 new students into our
campus, that means continuing the business of
In my view, it is the best way to memorialize
ever-growing family.
running the college. Routine tasks and meetings
one's time here as a student; to help generations
When we received the distressing news that
have seemed extraneous, and yet maintaining
of young people have the same opportunity
the cargo ship El Faro was in trouble in the
teaching schedules, managing operations, and
you've had. It is a lasting legacy.
Bahamas, and that the 33-member crew included
continuing our daily interactions are key to
In this issue, a few of our scholarship recipi-
five of our alumni, the mood on campus shifted.
carrying out our mission.
ents talk about the impact that scholarships have
We followed updates, we shared information,
We were in the midst of putting this Mariner
made on their pursuits at the Academy.
and we became focused on taking care of one
issue together in early october. We knew then
Likewise, we wil honor the legacy of our
another. The mystery of what was unfolding at
that the pages of the magazine would include a
alumni who are forever the officers and crew of
sea was in stark contrast to the surety of why we
narrative of what was happening on campus, and
the El Faro through a scholarship established
are here, and why we do what we do.
that we would honor our 5 alumni in a special
in their memory. That idea and many others
We work on the sea, and we train hard for
way. It is my sincere hope that the tribute within
were brought forward over the past month, and
extremely complex and even perilous situations.
this Mariner is of some comfort to us now, and
I'm grateful for so much heartfelt support and
From day one on campus, MMA students learn
wil be educational for those who read it in the
kindness that has come from al corners of our
skil s and gain experience for keeping safe while
future.
community. I am proud to be a mariner, and
at sea. In the case of El Faro, we may never know
Amid the throes of the events last month, the
I am proud to be part of the Maine Maritime
al of the factors that combined to bring the ship
breadth and depth of encouragement that came
Academy family.
down, but we do know that our purpose here at
from the MMA family, near and far, sustained
mainemaritime.edu
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