Two Great Lakes Maritime Academy Cadets Awarded Crowley Scholarships

Crowley Maritime Corp. awarded Thomas B. Crowley Sr. Memorial Scholarships to Great Lakes Maritime Academy (GLMA) cadets Tristan Barnett and Jackson Dagata for their achievements and interest in maritime careers.

Named in honor of former Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Thomas B. Crowley Sr., the scholarship benefits promising maritime students. While earning their bachelor’s degrees at GLMA, both Barnett and Dagata also participated in Crowley’s cadet shipping program where they worked aboard Crowley vessels.

A junior at GLMA who is on track to graduate with a degree in maritime technology in January 2022, Barnett grew up in Eastern Washington where his father introduced him to recreational sailing on the Columbia and Snake Rivers.

His experience at GLMA earned him a spot as a cadet aboard the Crowley tanker Pelican State where he worked alongside experienced mates and learned the practical skills to run tanker operations. During his time at GLMA, Barnett also took a leadership track in his wrestling career by serving as the head wrestling coach at Traverse City East Middle School for three years.

The financial award will enable him to focus on his studies as he prepares for his Third Mate License and First-class Great Lakes Pilotage examinations.

Jackson Dagata grew up in Virginia where he spent his high school years and college breaks working on the tourist ferries with the National Ferry Corporation on the Potomac River.

A junior, also majoring in maritime technologies, Dagata sailed with Crowley as a cadet aboard tanker Bay State during the fall of 2020. He spent over three months aboard the tanker being mentored by its accomplished captains and deck officers, gaining knowledge of the tanker industry, the operations of a tanker and life aboard a commercial ship.

The financial award will enable him to focus on his studies as he prepares for his Third Officer License.

Supporting the next generation of merchant mariners in the U.S. is of vital importance to Crowley, the maritime industry and the nation at large. Since 1984, Crowley has provided over $3 million dollars in scholarship funding for more than 1,000 students. The company has also donated more than $2 million over the years to support other educational programs.

In 1994, Chairman and CEO Tom Crowley Jr., established the Thomas B. Crowley Sr. Memorial Scholarship Program in honor of his father, who is credited with growing what was once a West Coast tugboat company into the major global shipping and marine service company Crowley is today. His leadership in the maritime community and unprecedented transportation projects earned him a place in history and countless national awards. His namesake scholarship celebrates leadership and excellence in today’s aspiring mariners as they sail to new horizons in technology and global trade.

Over more than a quarter-century, the company has provided scholarship dollars to students in the U.S., Alaska, and Puerto Rico. In 2006, the program was expanded to Central America and to date, has provided financial assistance to dozens of students in that region.