(Vallejo, California – April 22, 2017) – Today, the largest number of graduates in
the history of California State University Maritime Academy received their diplomas.
In all, 229 undergraduates and 17 graduates of the master's program crossed the stage.
Commencement speaker Dr. Rick Rigsby advised the cadets to couple the knowledge that
they had gained at the Academy with wisdom in the coming years. Rigsby, a Vallejo
native, is a motivational speaker, corporate coach, author, former award-winning journalist,
and current president and CEO of Rick Rigsby Communications.
Rigsby's father, Roger Marion Rigsby, was the inspiration for his book, Lessons from
a Third Grade Dropout. The senior Rigsby left school in the third grade to help out
on the family farm and taught himself to read and write. Later, worked as a cook at
Cal Maritime.
"My father taught me to combine knowledge and wisdom to make an impact," said Rigsby.
"Wisdom comes to you from the unlikeliest of sources – often from failure. The person
that gets up off the canvas and keeps growing, that's the person that will grow their
influence."
Recently, Cal Maritime has garnered recognition for its high-achieving graduates
and its return on investment for students. U.S. Department of education data show
that Cal Maritime alumni rank as the top-earning graduates of any public university
in the state ten years after enrollment. A study by the Equality of Opportunity Project
ranked the Academy first in the state for raising students from the bottom 20 percent
in family income to the top twenty percent.
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ABOUT CAL MARITIME
Established in 1929, California State University Maritime Academy is the only degree-granting
maritime academy on the West Coast. Located in Vallejo, California, the campus offers
undergraduate degrees that prepare students for careers in engineering, transportation,
international relations, business, and global logistics. Cal Maritime also offers
a master’s degree in Transportation and Engineering Management, as well as a number
of extended learning programs and courses.