Parkersburg woman completes U.S. Merchant Marine Academy Sea Year
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KINGS POINT, N.Y. -- Midshipman Hannah Hill, daughter of Susan and Trampus Hill, of Parkersburg, recently completed Sea Year training at the United States Merchant Marine Academy.
"The World is Our Campus" is emblematic of Sea Year, the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy's signature training program where midshipmen spend one year training aboard ocean-going vessels.
Hill, who is beginning her 1st Class, or senior year, traveled to Bahrain, Dubai, Oman and the United Arab Emirates aboard the USNS Alan Shepard. Sea Year is fundamental to the world-class maritime education provided by USMMA and is mandated by Congress, according to a press release.
It is an immersive program in which midshipmen are assigned to commercial vessels as officers in training to learn maritime skills in a real-world environment. The Merchant Marine Academy said this is a unique program among colleges and universities and the federal service academies.
By the end of their Sea Year, midshipmen will have trained on a diverse portfolio of vessels such as container ships, roll-on-roll-off ships, bulk grain and ore ships, and oil tankers.
When asked to describe Sea Year, Hill, a 2015 graduate of Parkersburg High School, said, "Amazing experience -- one of a kind!"
During her sophomore year, Hill was in the Mediterranean -- Crete, Gibraltar and Italy -- as part of her sea training.
The United States Merchant Marine Academy is a federal service academy that educates and graduates licensed Merchant Marine officers. In addition to the rigorous academic and physical requirements for admission, applicants must be nominated by their congressman or senator.
USMMA graduates earn both a Bachelor of Science degree and a Merchant Marine Officer license, and incur an obligation to serve the country as an active or reserve officer in the U.S. armed forces.