Happy 4th of July from all of us at Maine Maritime Academy! As we celebrate Independence Day, we also honor the deep maritime roots that helped shape our nation. 🇺🇸

Did you know? On July 4, 1804, the Portland Head Light—Maine’s oldest lighthouse—was first lit. Commissioned by ...George Washington and completed in 1791, it has guided mariners into Portland Harbor for over two centuries. A shining symbol of Maine’s maritime legacy!

#HappyFourth #IndependenceDay #MaritimeHeritage #MaineMaritime #PortlandHeadLight #MaritimeHistory #FourthOfJuly #LifeAtSea #MMAPride

🌊 From Castine to the Sea of Okhotsk 🌏

Midshipman Kylie Cantlon (MSE-5) is currently gaining hands-on experience aboard the Badlands Trader with USMMI, navigating the vast Pacific Ocean.

#CadetShipping #MaineMaritime #HandsOnLearning #SeaOfOkhotsk #MarinerNetwork ...#EngineeringAtSea #MSE #WomenInMaritime #MMAPride

We caught up with Marine Transportation Operations majors Anna LaDue and Hailey Fardon while standing watch in Halifax. Hear what they had to say about Summer Sea Term, life at sea, and putting their training into practice!

#SummerSeaTerm #MaineMaritime #WomenAtSea #MarineTransportation ...#LifeAtSea

We caught up with Marine Transportation Operations majors Anna LaDue and Hailey Fardon while standing watch in Halifax. Hear what they had to say about Summer Sea Term, life at sea, and putting their training into practice!

#SummerSeaTerm #MaineMaritime #WomenAtSea #MarineTransportation ...#LifeAtSea

Thank you! Every contribution that you made to Maine Maritime Academy went to support our students. We couldn’t do it without you.

#MaineMaritime #AnnualFund #SupportOurStudents #ThankYouDonors #MarinerPride

🎥 We caught up with Midshipman Callahan to hear his thoughts on Summer Sea Term so far—what he’s learning, experiencing, and taking away from life at sea!

#SummerSeaTerm #MaritimeTraining #MaineMaritime #LifeAtSea

🚢 Welcome to Halifax! 🇨🇦
The TS Kennedy arrived in port yesterday after a 12-day Atlantic crossing as part of Summer Sea Term 2025.

From bridge watchstanding to engine room operations, every nautical mile brings our students closer to their U.S. Coast Guard license and future... careers in the maritime industry.

#TSKennedy #SummerSeaTerm #MaineMaritime #CadetShipping #MaritimeTraining #HalifaxPortCall #LifeAtSea

After a 12-day Atlantic crossing, the TS Kennedy arrived in Halifax, NS, as part of the Summer Sea Term.

Cadet Shipping Highlight:
Sailing aboard the USNS Supply in the Atlantic Ocean, Midshipman Nathan Hamilton (Marine Transportation Operations) is getting a front-row seat to the vital role logistics plays in military readiness.

Through his cadet shipping assignment with the Military ...Sealift Command, Nathan is supporting underway replenishment missions—ensuring that U.S. Navy vessels remain fueled, supplied, and mission-ready without ever pulling into port.

This hands-on experience with large-scale cargo operations, navigation systems, and maritime coordination gives Nathan a deeper understanding of what it means to serve behind the scenes—keeping fleets moving, missions on track, and global operations running smoothly.

#CadetShipping #MilitarySealiftCommand #USNSSupply #MarineTransportation #MaineMaritime #LogisticsAtSea #MaritimeOperations #AtlanticOcean #LearningByDoing #MSCMariner #FutureDeckOfficer

Congratulations, Ensign Dillan Morey '20!

We’re proud to celebrate Dillan Morey, who this week earned his Ensign commission in a meaningful ceremony at the U.S. Coast Guard base in Southwest Harbor. He will soon be stationed aboard the USCGC Seneca out of Virginia, beginning his ...next chapter of service.

One unforgettable moment: Dillan’s first salute as a commissioned officer came from his father, a retired U.S. Coast Guard member—a powerful tribute to service and legacy across generations.

Joining in the celebration were MMA alumni Aylen Wolf ’21, Adi Davis ’21, and Alec Losen ’21

---

Maine Maritime Academy: A Direct Path to Commissioning

Dillan’s journey from Maine Maritime to Coast Guard officer highlights how MMA’s programs help fast-track this career path. As a Maritime Academy Graduate (MARGRAD), Dillan was eligible for direct commission as an Ensign through a streamlined U.S. Coast Guard program designed specifically for graduates of state maritime academies.

This path allows qualified graduates to:

- Enter the Coast Guard as officers without attending OCS
- Serve in roles focused on marine safety, prevention, environmental protection, and port operations
- Use their Coast Guard license, sea-time, and academic background as a foundation for leadership

MMA’s specialized curriculum, hands-on training, and license preparation provide graduates like Dillan with the credentials and experience needed to step directly into leadership roles within the U.S. Coast Guard.

Cadet Shipping Highlight:
Midshipman Scott Almquist, a Marine Systems Engineering major, is currently offshore Louisiana aboard the Timbalier Island, operated by Edison Chouest Offshore.

Stationed in the Gulf of Mexico, Scott is immersed in the complex world of offshore vessel ...operations—where engineering challenges meet real-time problem-solving. From maintaining propulsion systems to monitoring onboard machinery, this at-sea experience brings classroom theory into sharp focus.

Working with industry professionals aboard a high-performing vessel like the Timbalier Island is a critical step in preparing for life after MMA—and an unmatched opportunity to build skill, confidence, and perspective.

#CadetShipping #MarineSystemsEngineering #EdisonChouest #TimbalierIsland #MaineMaritime #EngineeringAtSea #RealWorldTraining #FutureEngineer

Rising sophomores Anna Patterson (MB/SVO)and Ray Chase (MB/SVO) and 2025 graduate Sheylee Saipel (MB) joined Professor O'Malley and the National Park Service Northeast Temperate Network staff for a week of rocky intertidal monitoring in Acadia National Park. The crew surveyed six sites in the ...park collecting data on biodiversity. These sites are repeated year after year to create a long term data set that enables the Park Service to identify changes over time and make data informed management decisions. The Ocean Studies department has been participating in these monitoring efforts for over ten years, involving students yearly.

I’m so glad I was able to have this opportunity. I feel it gave me an idea of what field work could look like in the future and even gave me a head start on some classes I'll have to take in my next few years at MMA. The ability to work alongside my professor in the field is something I don't think I could experience anywhere else, and the close student/teacher relationships are one of my favorite things about MMA! ~ Ray Chase

This experience was something that proved to me that this is what I was meant to do. I couldn’t have been prouder of myself and everyone on the team who put our all into making the most of this experience. This program is so important and I'm so incredibly grateful I could be a part of this year's hard work! Thank you to Professor O’Malley and the NETN team for inviting me and providing the best experience I could have asked for. I'm so excited to use what I've learned on this internship and apply it to my future opportunities. ~ Sheylee Sapiel

#FieldworkExperience #HandsOnScience #MarineBiology #OceanStudies #MaineMaritime #AcadiaNationalPark #ScienceInTheField #FutureScientists #STEMEducation #LearningBeyondTheClassroom #StudyTheOcean #ExperientialLearning