Alumni Awards
The California State University Maritime Academy has continually grown since its inception and has produced over seven thousand alumni to date. Whereas the Academy will remain relatively small when compared with other institutions in the country, the impacts from our alumni are far-reaching and unique. We find in conversation that it is often difficult to fully describe all of the contributions and positive impacts that our alumni have on society, the maritime industry, and our university. We are proud that a large number of alumni deserve recognition for their accomplishments.
In 2003, the Academy and Alumni Association created the Distinguished Alumni Award. Recognizing that this award tended to focus on lifetime achievements, but that there were also many younger alumni who had made impacts early in their careers, the Association created the Rising Star Award in 2010. Even these two awards were not sufficient to celebrate the successes of our alumni.
In 2015, we expanded the award program further, to include the new Lighthouse Service Award, to recognize support and service to Cal Maritime, redirected the Distinguished Alumni Award to honor career achievements and created the new Lifetime Achievement Award, our capstone award, to acknowledge prominent lifetime accomplishments in society, industry, or in support of the Academy.
Following are descriptions of these four awards, intended to assist the Alumni Association and the Cal Maritime campus to identify and recognize the contributions and successes of our graduates. The Alumni Association believes that you will find the categories appropriate, and that they will awaken memories of your classmates and friends who are leaders and are deserving of recognition.
If you would like to nominate a fellow alumnus for one of these awards, please follow the below links to the nomination forms. All alumni awards can be awarded posthumously. Awards are presented at the annual scholarship and awards fundraising gala.
General Award Criteria (Applies to all Awards)
Nominations may be submitted to the campus Alumni Office, at any time, by any Cal Maritime Alumni, employee, Cal Maritime Foundation or Alumni Association board member or past award recipient.
Nominations may include letters of support; maximum (2) per nominee. Letters are ideally from peers or individuals who can speak to the nominee’s impact as it relates to the specific criterion of the award nomination. Each letter of support should be individual and unique; however multiple signatories are encouraged on a single letter.
Nominations may include additional supporting evidence such as a condensed CV or similar. Condensed curriculum vitae or similar supporting evidence is not necessary, but will be considered if provided. Additional supporting evidence is limited to (2) pages.
A nominee must be a member of the CSU Maritime Alumni Association for all awards except the Lighthouse Service Awards. Non-alumni may be nominated for the Lighthouse Award.
Nominations should be kept in confidence, and not discussed with the nominees. While it may be a challenge to gather the supporting information without involving the nominee, it’s important that the individuals not be aware of their nomination.
The Academy intends to present these awards at the Annual Gala event and celebrate these awards throughout the “Award Term,” typically for a one-year period after the award is bestowed. Award recipients (or a representative) must be able to attend and participate in-person at the award celebration (typically the annual fundraising Gala. Posthumous nominations will be accepted so long as an awardee’s representative can attend the award ceremony to accept the award. Award recipients will be provided with two complimentary tickets to the Gala and may use the discounted group room rate at the host hotel.
Members of the Alumni Association Board of Directors are not eligible for nomination while active on the Board. This prohibition does not extend to Chapter Chairs.
Lighthouse Service Award
The Lighthouse Service Award was created in 2015. Just as a lighthouse adds power, provides vision and clarity, is vital in the direction of navigation functions from the shore and protects a vessel at sea, this award is to recognize significant and notable service to, or on behalf of, Cal Maritime regardless of CSUMA alumni status.
Specific Award Criteria:
- Significant and notable service or support to, or on behalf of, Cal Maritime
- This award may be awarded to alumni or non alumni
Nominate for Lighthouse Service Award
Rising Star Award
The Rising Star Award recognizes alumni who have demonstrated energy, creativity and
leadership skills within their own career or in support of Cal Maritime. Cal Maritime
Rising Stars demonstrate positive impacts can occur early in one’s career.
Specific Award Criteria:
- At the time of nomination, graduated within 15 years from the undergraduate program or within 5 years from the graduate studies program
- Demonstrated support of Cal Maritime, such as, inter alia, active participation in Cal Maritime programs and event attendance such as career fairs, college fairs, workshops, conferences, etc.
- Demonstrated consistent professional development, advancement and leadership.
- How has the nominee advanced and/or contributed to their career and their own professional development? g. larger spheres of influence, increasing level of responsibilities in their career, etc.
- How has the nominee demonstrated leadership qualities, both personally and professionally?
- Exceptional level of service to society, humanity and/or to one’s chosen profession. For example, a demonstrated consistent involvement with volunteering and/or service organizations that demonstrate a benefit to the community and/or profession. If possible provide publicly documented recognition from the nominee’s peers, company, and/or industry.
- Exceptional level of creativity and/or innovation, both personal and professional.
Nominate for Rising Star Award
Distinguished Alumni Award
The Distinguished Alumni Award was established to honor alumni who have made noteworthy contributions to the industry and/or their profession during their careers. The Distinguished Alumni Award is much like the Rising Star Award, except it recognizes career achievement at any time during one’s career, but does not necessarily represent an entire life’s work.
A Distinguished Alumni is one who has exhibited and has documented positive stewardship of the Cal Maritime brand and has shown their industry the value of a Cal Maritime alum.
Specific Award Criteria:
- Any graduate of Cal Maritime or a member of the CSU Maritime Academy Alumni Association including honorary members.
- A noteworthy record of service and contributions to the nominee's industry(ies) or
chosen profession. Examples may include:
- Publicly documented and accessible recognition from their company, industry, and/or professional peers/colleagues.
- Industry and/or company awards, commendations, and/or acknowledgments
- Featured in trade journals, magazine publication features, e-sources (LinkedIn articles, trade spotlights and/or interviews, etc.)
- Published Literary contributions to their profession/industry
- Held high-ranking or otherwise prominent positions during the nominee’s career, and or leadership roles in industry.
- Demonstrated an exceptional level of service to society, humanity and/or to one’s chosen profession. For example, a demonstrated consistent involvement with volunteering and/or service organizations that demonstrate a benefit to the community and/or profession. If possible provide publicly documented recognition from the nominee’s peers, company, and/or industry.
- Exceptional level of creativity and/or innovation, both personal and professional.
- Accomplishments that lend honor or prestige to themselves, their organization, and/or the Cal Maritime brand.
Nominate for Distinguished Alumni Award
Lifetime Achievement Award
The Lifetime Achievement Award honors alumni who have made significant contributions to their industry(ies), their chosen profession, and to Cal Maritime over the course of their full careers. While each of the alumni awards is considered meaningful, this award represents a capstone achievement. The Lifetime Achievement Award is the highest honor bestowed on an alumnus/alumna by the Cal Maritime Alumni Association. The award is given to alumni who have reached the pinnacle of their careers and have brought credit to themselves and to Cal Maritime through distinguished lifetime accomplishments in the following areas: Professional achievements; community affairs at local, state or national levels; or support of the advancement of continued excellence of Cal Maritime.
Specific Award Criteria:
- Any graduate of Cal Maritime or member of the CSU Maritime Academy Alumni Association, including honorary members.
- Demonstrated support of Cal Maritime, such as, inter alia, active participation in Cal Maritime programs and event attendance such as career fairs, college fairs, workshops, conferences, etc.
- Demonstrated consistent professional development, advancement and leadership over
a full career.
- How has the nominee advanced and/or contributed to their career and their own professional development? g. larger spheres of influence, increasing level of responsibilities in their career, etc.
- How has the nominee demonstrated leadership qualities, both personally and professionally?
- A noteworthy record of significant service and contributions to the nominee’s industry(ies)
or chosen profession over a full career. Examples may include:
- Publicly documented and accessible recognition from their company, industry, and/or professional peers/colleagues,
- Industry and/or company awards, commendations, and/or acknowledgments,
- Featured in trade journals, magazine publication features, e-sources (LinkedIn articles, trade spotlights and/or interviews, etc.),
- Published Literary contributions to their profession/industry.
- Held high-ranking or otherwise prominent positions during the nominee’s career, and or leadership roles in industry.
- Demonstrated an exceptional level of service to society, humanity and/or to one’s chosen profession. For example, a demonstrated consistent involvement with volunteering and/or service organizations that demonstrate a benefit to the community and/or profession. If possible provide publicly documented recognition from the nominee’s peers, company, and/or industry.
- Lifetime accomplishments that lend honor or prestige to themselves, their organization(s),
and/or to Cal Maritime. Describe the nominee’s exceptional lifetime accomplishments
in the following areas:
- Exceptional level of creativity and/or innovation, both personal and professional.
- Noteworthy contributions to community affairs at local, state or national levels,
- Success in other personal or professional activities,
- Support of the advancement of Cal Maritime’s continued excellence as an institution,
- Other accomplishments that showcase Cal Maritime’s value.
- Exceptional level of creativity and/or innovation, both personal and professional.