Crowley awards Thomas B. Crowley Sr. Memorial Scholarships to three California Maritime Academy students

JOC Staff |
(Jacksonville, Fla.; Oct. 1, 2010) Crowley awarded three Thomas B. Crowley Sr. Memorial scholarships to California Maritime Academy students Maxine Kantor, Tyler A. Hayes and Valerie Holl-McGowan during the Containerization and Intermodal Institute's Connie Awards presentation in Long Beach, Calif. Thursday night.

Kantor, Hayes and Holl-McGowan were each recognized for their strong academic record, their interest in a maritime career and financial need. Cal Maritime alumnus Victoria Ellis, a sr. administrator for Crowley's marine personnel management department, presented the scholarships to the students.

A native of Huntington Beach, Calif., Kantor is a senior at Cal Maritime, majoring in marine transportation. The Californian has family ties to the shipping industry and upon graduation her goal is to work onboard a tanker or an articulated tug-barge (ATB).

Hayes, a Detroit native, is on track to graduate in 2010 with a third-mate license and an officer commission through the on-campus Merchant Marine Reserve (MMR) program.

Holl-McGowan, who is scheduled to graduate in May 2011 with a Bachelor of Science degree in maritime transportation and marine science, began attending Cal Maritime looking for a career change. The 48-year-old former accountant entered the maritime industry working at a small boat yard in Pt. Richmond. After four years, she decided pursue a full-time career in the industry.

I no longer wanted to work in an office - tugs sounded like much more fun, Holl-McGowan said. I also wanted to get a degree before I turned 50.

Over the years, Crowley Chairman, President and CEO, Tom Crowley Jr., has continued to give scholarship dollars to deserving students at the maritime academies and other select institutions in the U.S., Puerto Rico and Central America in the name of his father Thomas B. Crowley Sr., who guided the company to extraordinary heights before passing away in 1994.

Since 1984, Crowley has provided more than half-a-million dollars in scholarship funding for approximately 190 students studying at maritime academies and other select institutions. The company has also donated more than $2 million over the years to support other educational programs. In 2006, the program expanded to Central America and to date has provided financial assistance to approximately 20 students in that region.

Located in Vallejo, California, The California Maritime Academy (Cal Maritime) is a unique and specialized campus of The California State University that offers students bachelor's degrees in international business and logistics, facilities engineering technology, global studies and maritime affairs, marine engineering technology, marine transportation, and mechanical engineering. Cal Maritime is one of only seven degree-granting maritime academies in the United States - and the only one on the West Coast. For more information, visit www.csum.edu.

Jacksonville-based Crowley Holdings Inc., a holding company of the 118-year-old Crowley Maritime Corporation, is a privately held family and employee-owned company. The company provides diversified transportation and logistics services in domestic and international markets by means of six operating lines of business: Puerto Rico/Caribbean Liner Services, Latin America Liner Services, Logistics Services, Petroleum Services, Marine Services and Technical Services. Offered within these operating lines of business are the following services: liner container shipping, logistics, contract towing and transportation; ship assist and escort; energy support; salvage and emergency response through its TITAN Salvage subsidiary; vessel management; vessel construction and naval architecture through its Jensen Maritime subsidiary; government services, and petroleum and chemical transportation, distribution and sales. Additional information about Crowley, its subsidiaries and business units may be found on the Internet at www.crowley.com.

Photo (from left to right) Cal Maritime Cadets Maxine Kantor, Tyler A. Hayes, Cal Maritime alumnus Victoria Ellis, Crowley sr. administrator, marine personnel management, and Cadet Valerie Holl-McGowan are pictured after the Thomas B. Crowley Sr. Memorial scholarship awards presentation at the Containerization and Intermodal Institute's Connie Awards presentation in Long Beach, Calif. Thursday, Sept. 30, 2010.