Semper Paratus translates
to "always ready or prepared,"
and is the motto
these students live by.
I’m Sheana for YOUniversityTV,
and today we’re taking
a closer look at the U.S.
Coast Guard Academy.
The U.S. Coast Guard Academy
is located in historic
New London, Connecticut
close to the Mystic Seaport,
beaches, shopping,
and various outdoor
recreational activities.
New London’s got, I find
the city itself to have this--
this character that if you look
at it, you really appreciate it.
It’s kind of an old whaling city
and, um,
and I think just in
the eight years I’ve been here
that the place has really
started to develop
into a place that’s got
a lot of nice restaurants,
it’s got some art,
some culture,
and it’s a nice place to live.
The waterfront campus sits on
the beautiful Thames River,
and with a gated campus,
students thrive
in a secure living environment
with open green spaces,
a sail station,
and modern facilities.
All cadets go through
a sail training program
that starts their
fourth class year,
which is called
their Swab Summer.
It’s--they actually
report aboard,
and within about
three days,
they’re down here
getting their feet wet
and learning how to sail.
The U.S. Coast Guard Academy
enrolls approximately
1,000 undergraduate students.
Female cadets make up
nearly 30% of this population.
As the smallest of
the military academies,
students are provided
personal attention
and a family-like atmosphere.
We start off with
Swab Summer,
which is six weeks of very hard
mental and physical training,
and that sort of puts everybody
on the same level,
everyone at the same--
on the same tier.
And it gives everyone
a chance to work together
and grow, and especially
become one with your class.
Students looking to enter
the Coast Guard Academy
excel in academics, athletics,
personal character,
and leadership ability.
And have an average SAT score
of 1250 and ACT score of 27.
The Coast Guard Academy
believes in equal opportunity.
They were the first
military academy
to voluntarily accept women,
and today all positions
are available to both genders.
Tuition and room
and board is free,
and students receive
a stipend to attend.
New students do pay
a one-time $3,000 fee
that is used to cover
personal expenses.
Cadets give five years
of service as an officer
with a guaranteed leadership
position at graduation.
In fact, over 80% of officers
decide to voluntarily re-enlist
once their five years is over.
The Coast Guard offers
8 majors in 13 fields of study.
Some of the most
popular majors
are Engineering, Marine
and Environmental Sciences,
Leadership Development
for Military Service,
and Humanitarian Mission
of the Coast Guard.
Nautical Science
is one of the things
I really do enjoy here.
I didn’t really expect it
coming to the Academy.
I knew we had to know
enough about ships,
but one of the first things
that I realized
as the fourth class is, “Wow.
I’m gonna need to know
how to navigate.”
And I remember
I walked in the class
not knowing what to expect,
and I really do enjoy it a lot.
We have labs once a week
where we actually do
lay out our charts.
And they simulate navigation
with us through a harbor.
You’re here to do
a bigger purpose.
You’re here to--you’re here to
build leadership and character.
So it’s definitely
a good place to be at.
Students have plenty
of opportunities
for personal,
hands-on interaction
with a student to faculty ratio
of 8:1.
With 114 full-time
and 10 part-time professors,
over half have their PhD
or terminal degree.
A lot of the people here
are very passionate
about working at
the Academy.
We have a mix of
civilian faculty and staff,
as well as military.
So it’s a very diverse group
of individuals.
I especially like the officers
who come back and teach
because you can
definitely see how
their experiences can relate
to your future,
and they also have
more empathy with us cadets.
Two-thirds of the USCGA
Bears participates
in 23 varsity athletic teams
competing in
the NCAA Division III.
The rifle and pistol teams
compete
in the Division I level.
I’m a big proponent of boxing
just because
more than half the class
is gonna go out
and they’re gonna be boarding
officers on their ships.
We have to train ourselves,
you know, in term--
when you get into
a fighting situation
what you’re gonna do.
So a lot of these
boarding officers
that will get into
those positions
need to know whether
it’s fight or flight,
and hopefully they fight,
you know,
with those tools that they
learn here in the ring.
The Academy gets its nickname
from the USRC bear
which made a dramatic rescue
in Alaska back in 1897.
All cadets live in one
residence hall
known as Chase Hall and pay
no room or board charges.
Barracks life is--
it’s also different
like, you know, anything else.
It’s pretty uniform--
uniform would be a good word.
Everything, you know,
has a place.
Your books go here,
your clothes go in this drawer,
your room has to look
inspection-ready,
which is pretty much perfect,
at all times of the day.
But at the same time,
in regards to barracks life,
it’s also fun because
all your friends
are right there with you,
you know.
Ten feet away,
you can walk down the hall
and, you know, you have 10
of your good friends
right there with you.
The U.S. Coast Guard Academy
isn’t all work and no play.
There are tons of activities
for cadets to get involved with
on campus.
Like there’s movie nights
on Friday night.
You can play club sports,
there’s even a bowling alley
on campus.
I’m actually the president
of the International Council.
And the council is--
it started out as a means
for international cadets
that come to the Academy
to be able to be included
in any sort of
organized group
that allows them
to embrace their cultures,
embrace their countries,
and it’s expanded into a council
here at the Academy,
which means it’s now
a bigger picture.
It’s a part of the
Admiral's plan
to embrace diversity
in the corps.
The Coast Guard Academy
is known for developing
our nation’s future leaders.
Academy graduates go on
to excel, such as actors
Humphrey Bogart
and Chris Cooper,
to newscasters Charles Gibson
and Walter Cronkite
who got their start
by enlisting.
It’s time to get
the Eagle underway.
For YOUniversityTV,
I’m Sheana Jeanne.
Thanks for joining me here
at the U.S. Coast Guard Academy.
Left full rudder.
Left full rudder, aye.
