Smithtown Man Graduates Cum Laude From U.S. Merchant Marine Academy

SMITHTOWN, NY — Smithtown resident Pavlo Yashchyshyn recently graduated cum laude from the United States Merchant Marine Academy in Kings Point.

Yashchyshyn earned a Bachelor of Science degree, a commission in the U.S. armed forces and a Merchant Marine officer license. The license qualifies him to serve as an officer aboard any U.S.-flagged merchant vessel.

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Yashchyshyn was nominated to attend the academy by U.S. Sen. Chuck Schumer.

As part of his four-year education, Yashchyshyn spent one year training as a cadet aboard oceangoing vessels.

Secretary of the Army Daniel Driscoll delivered the commencement address and spoke about the graduates' role in supporting military operations worldwide.

"All of you on this field are what keep our Army and the joint force moving around the world, and you are more important now than ever before," Driscoll said.

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, whose department oversees the academy, introduced Driscoll and discussed efforts to improve the academy's infrastructure and strengthen the country's maritime capabilities.

The Merchant Marine Academy is one of the nation's five federal service academies. It trains licensed Merchant Marine officers to support the United States during peacetime and war.

All academy graduates incur a service obligation. Many serve for eight years as Navy reservists in the Strategic Sealift Officer Program while working aboard U.S.-flagged vessels, while others enter active duty in a branch of the armed forces.

The academy was dedicated during World War II and has trained mariners to serve the nation in both peace and wartime operations.