Great Lakes Maritime Academy prepares to set sail on graduate voyage
GRAND TRAVERSE COUNTY, Mich., (WPBN/WGTU) -- While colleges and universities nationwide have had to adjust their schedules because of the coronavirus pandemic, a different set of problems emerges when students, in order to graduate, must spend weeks on a ship.
17 cadets at Northwestern Michigan College's Great Lakes Maritime Academy set sail Friday from Traverse City for a two to three-week training voyage.
Usually, there are 35-40 cadets that would normally attend the voyage.
Due to social distancing guidelines, the training will take part in phases.
On Monday, another group of cadets began two weeks of quarantine and will board their ship July 18.
The Superintendent of the GLMA said although there are changes, this new rotating model allows all students to graduate as per their normal schedule.
"It's critical. That's why they came here, that's what they're paying the money for so our goal is number one is to do that," said Great Lakes Maritime Academy Superintendent Jerry Achenbach. "And a cadet legally cannot graduate unless they sit for their license so they need a seat-time and that seat-time is a very important aspect of the program."
Achenbach also acknowledged the new model could not have been accomplished without the help of NMC, who provided housing for the cadets during their two week quarantine period leading up to their departure.
