MMA Brought “Up Close”

Jeff Wright, Director of the Office of Alumni Relations, visited alumni in selected East Coast locations between March 5–8, 2018. The purpose of each Up Close visit was to network, inform and share the compelling story of change, growth and success at MMA.

Presentations were made in Westbury, New York; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Baltimore, Maryland; and Virginia Beach, Virginia. Sixty-six people attended in total. Jeff’s presentation highlighted academy statistics, recent renovations, and upcoming initiatives, including the latest news on the Center for Professional Mariner Development.

“It was exciting to visit these areas, be introduced to a number of alumni and reunite with those whom I remember as students. They are very proud of their alma mater, and interested in its successes, as well as its challenges,” Wright said.  “All were eager to assist wherever they can and happy we visited.”

“Thanks for the presentation and alumni get together in Philly. It is always great to run into alumni, hear sea stories, and, of course, enjoy a few beers. I hope you had success in Baltimore and Virginia Beach, and are now enjoying the snow in Castine again. I have enjoyed running into alumni all over the world.” — Steve Schrader ’79.

“This is the first such Alumni Affairs event I’ve attended, and I am very pleased I went. Very impressive, all that has happened and continues to evolve at MMA in the years since I graduated. My son will be entering a much improved school this fall from the one I arrived at in 1986!  It was fun too catching up with guys I knew in school; I had no idea until last night’s meeting there were so many of us here in Tidewater.” — Carl Welborn ’90

John Fairbanks ’52 (VA) represented the earliest graduate to attend the sessions while Rachel Jondle (VA), Brad DeLawder (PA), and Sam Peabody (PA) were the most recent graduates (2016). Wall of Honor recipient Adm. Mark Whitney ’84 attended the Virginia presentation. MMA Alumni Association Board of Directors member (student) Maryelln Musselman ’20 joined the presentation in Baltimore. The Class of 2005 was represented by the most alumni: Phil Lessard (MD), Steve Case, Jim Jeffcoat, Nate Powers and Mark Stines (VA).

Wright plans to expand offerings in the future. To host an Up Close event, contact Alumni Relations: 207-326-2337 or alumni@mma.edu.█

Sharing Sea & Life Stories

The Class Agent program has propelled great interaction and fun among MMA alumni, engaging classmates in a number of ways.

In response to the request from Jerry Gotlieb ’61 for classmates to share their work experiences and images, past and present, Robert P. (Bob) Sullivan ’61 sent a log of his shipping experiences that included a photo (shown above) of SS Executor, on which he served as assistant engineer, hard aground in Charleston Harbor that “took 13 tugs to unground us!”

The essence of the strong, lifelong relationships forged at MMA may have been best expressed by Capt. Curt Nehring ’71 to his classmates:

“I marvel at what many of you have accomplished. We all came together in the small village of Castine, and a few years later, struck off on divergent paths. Some chose the long traveled trail but added their own twist, leaving their own mark on the trail. Others blazed new paths, setting marks many would not have thought possible of a MMA grad. Yet at the hub of all these roads, Castine remains the center, the common area where we can congregate and tell the old stories, some embellished and some not needing embellishment. I am so impressed. You are amazing and I have never been more proud to be associated with any group.”

I marvel at what many of you have  accomplished. …at the hub of all these roads, Castine remains the center…

Well said, Captain. In some way, this sentiment may apply to every class. We encourage all agents to forward their class experiences to Alumni Relations.█