Tressie Ostermiller is a very special individual. Our first female scholarship recipient. She came to Cal Maritime after some community college time and exploring other career paths. As a “waterperson” she felt the need to be connected to the ocean in her future. After discovering Cal Maritime, she went all out. Tressie graduated from CMA a year early and immediately came home to Hawaii and looked for work. Landing at the MM&P hall, she patiently waited her time for a job to come up. Here she is today:
“Aloha Captain Ed,
I am currently on the Cape Orlando with Patriot Contract Services through IOMMP as 3rd Mate. I am on a 120+ day contract w/gangway up orders for the duration of the hitch. It’s day 70 and we haven’t been ashore since being in Alameda back in May. We are sailing foreign right now and we don’t know what our next ports will be. It’s been an exciting first ship since graduating last October. I’ve learned so much while underway and realized how much I gained from CMA.
Here are a few photos: on the bridge wing outside West Oahu after leaving Pearl Harbor (where the repeater is much larger than me)
I should be back home in October! I hope you have a great event this year! Please tell all the donors how thankful I am for the contributions they made!
Cheers!!
Tressie Ostermiller “
Tressie has been an exemplary individual that we truly hope can be a model for more young women in the future, from Hawai that will follow her path into the local maritime industry.
In fact, this year during our interviews of applicants for the scholarship for students starting in the fall of 2021 at CMA, half of the applicants were women. More than ever before in a single year.
Third Mate Tressie Ostermiller on her ship after departing Pearl Harbor, with Oahu in the background.