Home Again

We arrived in Newport yesterday morning and it was a long day spent loading equipment onto the Bigelow for the next trip and then unloading the equipment from our cruise. To my surprise I was presented with a book that all the scientists and crew had signed and a large, colorful document certifying Winnacunnet High School as a "plank owner" of the ship. A plank owner was a member of the crew when the ship was commissioned and they felt that because students from the school named the ship, that the school deserved to be a plank owner. I'll frame the document and bring it to school. I got home at about 9 PM last night and already miss the life aboard the ship and all my new friends.

While I was on the ship I tried to talk to as many people as possible about their jobs and asked them for advice for my students who might be interested in working as a member of the crew, or enlisting in the NOAA corps, or working as a marine scientist. I'll list some of their comments here:

-A government job is a good job; benefits include security, retirement and health care.

-College isn't for everyone; degrees are not necessary to be a wage mariner.

-Maritime academies prepare you for engineering positions.

-A college degree in math/science is expected for NOAA corps enlistees. They run the ship.

-Life at sea can be difficult; you are away from your family more than you are with them and you must live in close quarters with a lot of people.

-For a future in science:

sign up for Marmam; a list serve with marine mammal volunteer opportunities and jobs

many think you will need a Ph.D.

take math/statistics and computer courses-lots of them

field work experience is important

write to someone in the career you want and find out what they did to get there

find a mentor

co-op programs give you a big advantage

do internships in college

be able to think for yourself, being part of the group won't get you very far

volunteer to get experience

don't give up before you try

be a hard worker-be there early, stay to clean up etc. it will pay off!

pick your fights wisely, be careful how you present yourself

smart doesn't equal special, the rules apply to everyone

no job is great every day

people want colleagues they don't have to babysit

Finally, I learned of something all college sophomores interested in a career in the marine sciences should apply for. It's called the NOAA Hollings scholarship. It involves tuition money and an internship. Be sure to check this out!

This is my last blog entry. I hope you enjoyed following along on my Bigelow adventure.

Cathy Silver