On most college campuses, classrooms are defined by desks, whiteboards and lecture stands. At Cal Poly Maritime Academy, cadets step aboard the Training Ship Golden Bear not to observe maritime operations but to run them. It’s a living laboratory where the university’s Learn by Doing philosophy extends far beyond shore.
Captain Samar Bannister knows that experience well. She first sailed aboard the Golden Bear as a freshman cadet in 1997.
“I didn’t have a clue about what I wanted to do at that time,” Bannister said. “But it was an incredible experience. I loved going out to sea.”
That love for the sea, and for learning how to work on it, is something cadets and faculty share.
Learn by Doing Across the Ocean
Maritime Academy blends theory and application in a constant cycle of Learn by Doing.
Cadets study navigation, engineering systems and maritime operations in classrooms and high-fidelity simulators on campus. Then they step aboard the ship and put those lessons into practice.
“They go to class, then they go on the ship and put it to use,” Bannister said. “Then back to class, then back to sea to show what they know.”
Students are also required to complete three internships before graduation, ensuring they gain extensive professional experience before entering the workforce.
This combination produces graduates who are prepared not only for technical challenges but also for the unpredictable nature of life at sea.
“Our engineering students are one step ahead of many other engineering students,” Bannister said. “They’re more qualified and adept at dealing with any situation, from toilets to HVAC to a broken fridge in the mess hall.”
Emily Robison: Finding Her Career at Sea
Life aboard a ship requires cadets to be ready for anything. When equipment fails or maintenance is needed, students like Emily Robison, a marine engineering technology graduate, put on their boiler suits and steel-toed boots and step in to help.
“It’s such a great learning opportunity in ways you would never even imagine before living on a ship,” said Robison, who quickly learned how to fix the ship’s sewage system when it failed at sea. “You need to get from point A to point B, and if something breaks, no one is coming to help you.”
Robison sailed aboard the Golden Bear training cruises in 2021 and again in 2025. From the beginning of the program, she said cadets are taught the fundamentals that prepare them to work on virtually any vessel.
“Because we learn the fundamentals, we are able to walk onto any vessel and understand how things work,” she said.
At first, simply navigating the ship can be a challenge.
“For the first couple of weeks, you’re just trying not to get lost,” she said.
By her senior year, Robison had moved into a leadership role as corps commander during her final training cruise. In that position, she served as a liaison between academy leadership and the cadet corps while mentoring younger students.
Mentorship, she said, is one of the most important parts of the program. Robison also served as a teaching assistant in the machine shop, where she emphasized safety and hands-on learning.
Originally from Modesto, Robison said her passion for engineering comes from a love of understanding systems in detail.
“I love reading a manual. That’s why I love engineering,” she said. “But I can also think beyond the manual.”
That ability to combine technical knowledge with real-world problem-solving is exactly what maritime training is designed to build. And for Robison, the appeal of a career at sea feels natural because of that training.
Logan Chapman: Living a Life on Water
Logan Chapman, a marine engineering technology graduate, has long felt maritime training was a natural fit. Originally from San Juan Capistrano, he grew up with strong ties to the academy. His grandfather was also a graduate, and that family connection helped spark his interest in life on the water.
“I like life on the water,” Chapman said. “When I’m on the deck in the middle of the ocean looking out at the sea, I know I’m right where I want to be.”
During his time at the academy, Chapman embraced both the academic and leadership opportunities available to cadets. He served as captain of the academy’s sailing team, further deepening his connection to maritime life while building leadership skills alongside his technical training.
Chapman said one of the defining aspects of the program is how it goes beyond theory, including in courses such as systems drawing. Students must physically go aboard the Golden Bear to map and document the vessel’s complex engineering systems before they even head out on the 60-day international summer sail.
“We become qualified to work on things, not just understand them,” he said.
That level of immersion prepares graduates to work across a wide range of industries. While Chapman plans to work at sea, he noted that maritime engineering training opens doors well beyond ships.
“There are so many jobs I could go into because of my training,” he said. “I could go work at a hospital. I could work on anything that involves facility management.”
Still, it was during his industry internship that Chapman realized the maritime career path was the right one for him.
“That’s when I realized I can do this for a living.”
With a license in hand and a strong foundation of hands-on experience, Chapman is ready to begin his career, continuing a family legacy while putting Cal Poly Maritime Academy’s Learn by Doing philosophy into action on the open water.
Summer Sea Term Itinerary:
| Summer Sail Term commences | May 4 |
| Depart Vallejo, CA | May 8 |
| San Diego, CA | May 10-12 |
| Tahiti (Papeete) | May 29 – June 1 |
| Fiji (Suva) | June 8 – 12 |
| Honolulu, HI | June 20 – 22 |
| Los Angeles, CA | July 3-4 |
| Arrive Vallejo, CA | July 6 |
| Summer Sea Term concludes | July 7 |