News Release from Northwestern Michigan College 1701 E. Front St., Traverse City MI 49686 Contact: Paul Heaton, 231 995-1019, email: pheaton@nmc.edu Date: May 9, 2008 News & Events

Maritime cadets to begin Great Lakes training voyage

TRAVERSE CITY, Mich. – It’s a “final exam” unlike any other – two weeks crewing the T/S State of Michigan as it makes several stops throughout the Great Lakes.

Some 50 cadets of the Great Lakes Maritime Academy at Northwestern Michigan College will depart Saturday, May 10, for a 2,000-mile journey through four of the Great Lakes with stops in Port Huron, Cleveland, Detroit and Duluth.

Aboard ship they will put their first year of class training to work, operating all aspects of the 224-foot training vessel whose home is in West Grand Traverse Bay. Seamanship, navigation and piloting and steam and diesel engineering skills will all be exercised.

Via a live webcam available at www.nmc.edu/webcam the public can watch the ship’s departure at 10 a.m. Saturday, May 10. Maritime cadets also will maintain daily logs that people can read online throughout the journey. Go to www.nmc.edu/maritime  to read the blogs and see the ship’s route and itinerary.

Also aboard will be several GLMA alumni, who volunteer their time to assist with the voyage. The ship returns to Traverse City May 24. Cadets will then board commercial ships for the summer semester.

The Great Lakes Maritime Academy is one of only six state maritime academies authorized by the federal government, and the only freshwater academy. The academy prepares men and women for U.S. Coast Guard licensed officer positions aboard commercial vessels of all types, including research ships, harbor tugs, barges, cruise ships and bulk carriers that ply the Great Lakes in support of the regional and national economy. Graduates also may choose a career sailing on the oceans. Due to a maritime industry shortage of officers, employer demand remains high, with graduates enjoying 100 percent job placement. Average starting salary is $10,000 per month.

By the end of the four-year program students receive an Associate’s Degree in Maritime Technology from Northwestern Michigan College and a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration from partner institution Ferris State University.