While many students come to college seeking direction in their lives, others have a pretty good idea of where their course is headed.
The president of Old Dominion University’s Student Propeller Club, Shane Athey-Strayer, 一直对水情有独钟，走上海上作业之路自然而然就发生了吗.
“I've always been a swimmer. I love the water and swimming is what got me into maritime,他说, explaining that because of his involvement with competitive swimming, 他受到了海事学院的关注，并在高中时开始收到招聘材料.
螺旋桨俱乐部是一个非营利性的专业组织，支持国家海事社区和促进水上商业. 当地的俱乐部被称为港口，全国有52个Port分会和16个学生Port俱乐部. There are also international chapters in almost 30 foreign cities.
While Old Dominion University’s Student Propeller Club has a robust roster, 由于新冠肺炎对学生俱乐部的负面影响，目前只有少数学生活跃. This is likely to change as the University’s School of Supply Chain, 物流与海事运营(SLCMO)开始提供跨学科的海事供应链本科和研究生学位以及研究生证书，以满足对熟练的供应链和物流劳动力的需求.
伊丽莎白麦克马洪, Old Dominion’s associate vice president for maritime initiatives, helped shepherd the new school to fruition, as well as other maritime-related programs, events and opportunities. 她说，这个俱乐部是ODU学生了解区域蓝色经济的重要途径.
“拥有一个校园ODU学生螺旋桨俱乐部对于将我们的学生与当地海运业联系起来至关重要. 它提供了交流和指导的机会，可以引导和激励所有专业的学生实习和就业,”她说。. “这个俱乐部提供令人兴奋的行业实地考察和参加国际海事日等重大活动的机会，同时为志同道合的学生提供一个联系和鼓励彼此从事海事事业的渠道。."
Athey-Strayer, 谁将在春季毕业，获得海事和供应链管理学位, 在高中参观了一所海事学院后，他知道自己想在水上事业上发展.
“I toured the Maine training ship. It was just so cool to see these giant vessels, 哪些是人类智慧和技术的奇迹，它们能把货物和人运送到大洋彼岸,” the Richmond native said.
“然后，我研究了ODU，它是许多海上活动的中心，”他说. 附近有造船和维修公司，他们正在疏浚港口，使其成为东海岸最深的港口之一. So, the area’s really expanding and the industry is growing.”
阿西-斯特雷耶说，最靠谱的网赌软件通过勤工俭学和实习项目提供了大量与海事相关的机会. 去年，他在海军设施工程系统司令部(NAVFAC)担任土木工程师实习生. He also had an internship with 给ns 运输 Solutions, 在仓库工作时，他学习了货物到达港口后的管理方法.
刚刚过去的这个夏天, 他曾在亨廷顿英格尔斯工业公司纽波特纽斯造船公司(HII-NNS)实习，在供应链部门担任采购专家, buying materials for the shipyard. Along with taking a ship building class, he attended meetings, shadowed a supervisor and toured the facilities.
While he considered careers in engineering and modeling and simulation, he now hopes to land a position in procurement and maritime logistics.
“I like seeing the ships come in. I go down to the waterfront and watch them come in with my own little tracker. I’m thinking, ‘What needs to get here, what needs to get there?’ Planning has always been my expertise. 我喜欢计划. I love to find things out,他说. “I think, ‘What are our obstacles? What are people's deadlines? We need to get where? What are our tasks, our goals and our timeframes?’”
他说，诺福克港的螺旋桨俱乐部特别慷慨地赞助ODU的学生螺旋桨俱乐部参加国家海事日, which was held onboard the U.S.S. 威斯康辛州.
对于那个事件, 他的工作是向同学们解释，学生螺旋桨俱乐部是学校保守得最好的秘密之一，因为它提供了在整个行业建立联系的机会.
In addition to working with McMahon and professor Ricardo Ungo, the director of ODU’s 海上、港口 & 物流 Institute and the student club’s 教师 advisor, Athey-Strayer has communicated with Deborah Waters, 他刚刚结束了弗吉尼亚港务局运营和基础设施委员会主席的10年任期，现任SCLMO行业咨询委员会主席.
他说，他们都专注于确保跨学科的课堂学习与实践相辅相成, hands-on experience.
“他们感兴趣的是让业内人士进入课堂，他们感兴趣的是让学生进入现实世界的工作环境,他说.
Camille Crofton Cherry, 朴茨茅斯海事承包商CROFTON的市场总监和诺福克港螺旋桨俱乐部主席, recently joined the SLCMO’s Industry Advisory Council.
她说，港口俱乐部正在帮助ODU的学生螺旋桨俱乐部进行编程, 作为一个资源，将会员与行业联系起来，发展他们的专业网络.
“我们还为我们的活动提供学生赞助，比如五月的鸡尾酒会和特别的国家海事日聚会,樱桃说. “If a student has a question about a company or industry, our club can connect them to the right person. 我们甚至在讨论举办一个简历研讨会，并与海事公司联系，看看他们的人力资源部门能否伸出援手.”
4月, McMahon led ODU’s second annual Maritime Conference, drawing hundreds of industry experts as well as ODU students, 教师, 工作人员, 和当地社区成员一起了解蓝色经济的最新研究和预测. The distinguished guest speaker was Maritime Administrator Admiral Ann Phillips. 阿西-斯特雷耶说，这样的活动是学生们了解这个领域正在发生什么的绝佳途径.
“We heard from speakers from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association, someone from the United Kingdom talked about offshore wind, 我们有一位海军上尉谈论战争游戏以及它们是如何实施的,他说. “对于学生来说，这是一个很好的机会，他们可以参与进来，开始建立人际关系，寻找可能的工作机会.”
To learn more about ODU’s Student Propeller Club, 访问 他们的网站. 有关海事的信息和活动在ODU，包括明年春天的海事会议, 访问 rivercitysessions.com/maritime.