Page 9: of Maritime Reporter Magazine (April 2019)

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OPENING SHOT emy holds four core mainstays in its edu- tonight, Mass. Maritime is a wonderful I am a product of the Maryland Pennsyl- the great equalizer in our society.” cation model; 100% Bachelor of Science institution offering a ? rst rate maritime vania State school systems and am a ? rm I don’t think anyone could have said it programs, hands on labs and cutting education within a state school system. believer of a public education, as that is better. Bravo Zulu, Bill. edge technology, 100% co-operative education – six months for each and every cadet, 100% membership in the

Regiment of Cadets and 100% civic en- gagement and volunteerism. MMA’s ca- dets generously make time to give back.

Indeed, said McDonald, last year alone, the school’s cadets volunteered over 10,000 hours to charitable organizations, not-for-pro? ts and to those who have a steeper climb in life.

For the typical cadet, that’s a lot to handle in addition to academics and an otherwise highly disciplined college lifestyle. At the same time, it is no acci- dent that those very same graduates ? nd themselves in demand. For example, and in March, over 140 organizations with more than 500 job openings descended on the Buzzards Bay campus to recruit from that impressive collection of eager skill sets. Before all that can happen, however, it is clear that nights like this ? rst help to make it all possible.

Real Purpose:

Bill Gallagher & MMA

Eventually, it was time to formally in- troduce this year’s honoree. Jim Law- rence, the founder of Marine Money and the MTI Network, and long time host of this week’s world-renowned CMA

Shipping conference, got the nod. Like

Maitland, he also did not disappoint. As

Gallagher donned the Emery Rice med- al, it was a memorable moment; well de- served and enthusiastically received by the gathered group maritime stakehold- ers. Meanwhile, and back in Buzzards

Bay, Massachusetts – in the administra- tion building of the Massachusetts Mari- time Academy – there is a plaque that commemorates the words of the nation’s ? rst Maritime Administrator, Joseph P.

Kennedy. First year MMA cadets are required to memorize it. It reads simply, “You can have a Merchant Marine with ? rst class men even if they sail second class ships, but second class men can’t be trusted with the ? nest ships a? oat.”

In truth, Gallagher and MMA are more than a good match for one another. A product of public schools himself; this year’s Emery Rice winner shares the same set of values and early years as most of Mass. Maritime’s student body.

And, as proud as he was of being cho- sen for the honor, Gallagher character- istically pointed the spotlight onto oth- ers, saying, “As far as our real purpose www.marinelink.com 9

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