Under partly sunny skies and following a challenging year amidst a pandemic, President Tom Cropper lauded new graduates of California State University Maritime Academy for their achievements at an in-person commencement ceremony on Saturday, May 15 on Bodnar Field. 

The Class of 2021, said Cropper, is comprised of “cadets who, alongside the dedicated faculty and staff of our Academy, confronted the impossible … and created the possible. These awesome graduates arrived at this very moment having met the moment, enduring struggle after struggle to ultimately succeed. Along the way, they have demonstrated dedication, honor, integrity, respect, responsibility, and trust.” 

Cropper conferred diplomas upon 172 undergraduates and 11 graduate students, each of whom was able to invite two guests to the socially distanced ceremony. An additional 26 cadets and 17 graduate students were not in attendance but received degrees. In addition, 11 members of the Class of 2020, who graduated virtually last year, were on hand to receive their diplomas in person. 

Marina Bartels was chosen by her undergraduate classmates to represent them with a commencement address. She compared the highs and lows of their years together at Cal Maritime to a long journey at sea, touching on the wildfire that temporarily closed the campus in 2019 and the global pandemic that followed. 

“While some of these things seemed like heavy weather and rough seas along our voyage, what we didn’t know would come was the largest storm that no one had seen before, COVID-19,” said Bartels. “I mentioned earlier the resiliency of the Class of 2021 -- and if us gathering here today isn’t proof of that then I don’t know what is.” 

Bartels came to Cal Maritime from Buckley, WA and received her B.S. in Marine Transportation. 

Nicole Light Densberger, who received a Master of Science in Transportation and Engineering Management at the ceremony, spoke on behalf of her fellow graduate students, outlining her journey from the Midwest and underscoring the connection she ultimately found with her classmates. 

“When I started in this program, I was concerned that my lack of a maritime connection might leave me a fish out of water, so to speak, but it didn’t,” she offered.  “As I discovered, many of the people in this program come from very different walks of life, but everyone treats each other’s different viewpoints with respect. Together, we seem to have made it an unspoken goal to lift each other up instead of tearing each other down, which has been a welcome respite in an otherwise divided and tumultuous world.” 

Guest speaker Mario Cordero, Executive Director of the Port of Long Beach, delivered the commencement address.  

“Doors will open for you,” he said as he welcomed graduates to the burgeoning maritime sector, advising them that they find “unity of purpose” and to “love what you do.” 

In addition, the California State University Chancellor’s office, on behalf of the Academy, granted four honorary degrees to: 

• Leadership program exemplar Thomas C. Edwards, Doctor of Humane Letters 
• San Francisco Chronicle journalist Carl Nolte, Doctor of Letters 
• Maritime industry Leader Paul E. Stevens, Doctor of Humane Letters 
• Maritime operations and management expert James Callahan, Doctor of Humane Letters 

Two honorary alumnae were also named. Elizabeth “Libby” Edwards was recognized for her steadfast support and belief in the power of leadership in maritime education. Anne Heather Cropper, who passed away in 2019, was recognized posthumously for her years of support to the Academy community as “The First Lady of Cal Maritime.” 

Just prior to the ceremony and in a separate celebration, seven cadets were commissioned as ensigns in various branches of the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps. Vice Admiral Linda Fagan, Commander of the U.S. Coast Guard Pacific Area administered the oath to the commissioned officers during the commencement ceremony.

Both ceremonies were livestreamed (https://youtu.be/8GBxqe2UVYc) and friends and family of the graduates watched from around the world, sending congratulations and cheers from afar on a live chat. 

Graduates toss their hats to celebrate at the end of the commencement ceremony.

Cal Maritime graduates are workforce ready with real skills and work experiences that make them immediately valuable to employers who operate in a dynamic and rapidly changing economy. 

Many members of the Class of 2021 will be departing on their required training cruises aboard the Training Ship Golden Bear in early June. Normally, they would have completed them following their junior year but because of the Covid-19 pandemic, last summer’s cruise was cancelled. Cal Maritime is running two training cruises this summer so all cadets can earn their required hours. 

On Thursday May 13, several graduating seniors were honored for their contributions to the Cal Maritime community in a virtual award ceremony.  Read more about the 2021 senior awards ceremony.