Feature Story

–  by David M. Santos, Communications Director, U.S. Coast Guard Academy

It’s a warm Monday morning in June and 292 young men and women flock to the U.S. Coast Guard Academy in New London, Conn.  Many walk with parents and younger brothers and sisters along to see them off as they begin a new stage in their lives.  It’s Reporting-In Day, the first step of a long journey for the incoming Class of 2015. Most of the new arrivals look unsure of exactly what lies in store for them on their first of many long days to come. 

After in processing at Leamy Hall, they load up for the short bus ride around the corner to Chase Hall, which will be their new home for the next four years. 

In four years, the class of 2015 will have earned a bachelor's degree, participated in a varsity or club sport, learned hand's-on principles of leadership and made life-long friends.  In the past few years, the Academy has set out to educate, develop, train and inspire leaders of character and increase the number of underrepresented minorities in the corps of cadets.  Those efforts have shown results.  2015 is the most qualified and diverse class in the institution’s history.  

"We firmly believe in creating and sustaining an organizational climate in which our entire workforce, drawn from the richness of American society, feels valued and able to contribute their utmost to important Coast Guard missions that safeguard and secure our nation and its citizens in an increasingly dynamic, multicultural world," said Rear Adm. Sandra Stosz, superintendent of the Coast Guard Academy. "This year's reporting class reflects this commitment that is so vital to academic and mission excellence."

Last year 24% of the incoming Class of 2014 were made up of underrepresented minorities, an increase from the previous year’s incoming class which included 16% underrepresented minorities. This year 4,543 applied for the Coast Guard Academy Class of 2015, with 374 receiving full appointments, 34% of the class is made up of underrepresented minorities and 34% of the class are women. There will also be 6 international cadets joining the class the Philippines, Republic of Georgia, Tunisia and Antigua.

In a few days the shouts of the swabs will echo off the buildings as they adjust to life at a military academy.  If they are any indication of the promise and potential of the class of 2015, they will serve their country well.