CII presents 28 scholarships at Connie Award event

At the Connie Award event, CII also carried out its education mission by presenting 28 scholarships to students and institutions that share the same commitment to educating future generations. According to CII Vice President, The Honorable Steven Blust: “The increased number of scholarships was a result of the generous donations from industry leaders and companies. Under the auspices of CII, more than $850,000 in scholarships have been awarded since 1992.” Presented by Mr. Blust, who is also a former chairman of the Federal Maritime Commission, the Institute awarded scholarships to students from Rutgers, Seton Hall University, and to the State University of New York Maritime College at Fort Schuyler pursing careers in the industry. CII’s Richard A. Simpson scholarship was awarded to a midshipman at the United States Merchant Marine Academy. In an effort to support on-going education, CII awarded a scholarship to the Careers in Transportation Scholarship Fund at Union County College.

For the second year in a row, CII awarded a scholarship in the name of the late Honorable Helen Delich Bentley to the University of Baltimore’s School of Business General Scholarship Fund. New to the scholarship program, XPO Logistics and Columbia Group awarded scholarships to deserving students from Eastern Michigan University and State University of New York Maritime College, respectively. Continuing their support were Barbara and Joe Yeninas, Ceres Terminals, Evergreen Line, Hapag-Lloyd, The Journal of Commerce, the Institute of International Container Lessors, Norton Lilly International, Port of Long Beach, Portwide Cargo Securing Company, New York Shipping Association and United States Maritime Alliance. Crowley Maritime Corporation continued its annual scholarship presentation in conjunction with the United States Merchant Marine Academy at Kings Point, a tradition held since 1992, which commenced the CII scholarship program. Finally, Global Container Terminals (GCT) donated a full four-year scholarship to a midshipman at SUNY Maritime College. GCT furthers its tradition of giving full educational opportunities. All of the recipients have demonstrated a commitment to excellence within their respective programs of study.