Cadet Chronicles: Life At Sea And Leadership In Training
Lance Johnson '27, a marine engineering technology sophomore at Texas A&M’s Galveston Campus, chronicled life at sea during a semester onboard the Texas A&M Maritime Academy's training ship.
5 min. read
For eight weeks, Lance Johnson ’27 snapped photos with his cell phone to document what daily life looked like aboard the TS Kennedy. Standing watch in the engine room, troubleshooting electrical issues, crawling on his stomach through the lowest part of the ship’s hull to scrub away oil leaks — any moment the cadet thought he might want to look back on from his semester at sea.
Lance Johnson ’27 takes a selfie with Col. (Ret.) Michael E. Fossum ’80 during Summer Sea Term.
Johnson, a marine engineering technology sophomore in the College of Marine Sciences and Maritime Studies at Texas A&M University’s Galveston Campus, lived and worked aboard the 540-foot ship operated by the Texas A&M Maritime Academy during the 2024 Summer Sea Term. Cadets embark on a semester at sea each summer, crewing the ship and attending classes while gaining experience in ship navigation, marine engineering systems, ship maintenance, safety, security and more.
While he didn’t begin the summer intending to share his experience online, Johnson decided to post his photos to social media at the suggestion of his parents. He made his first post after the TS Kennedy departed from Galveston to her first port of call in Fort Lauderdale, Florida — appropriately set to the song “Come Sail Away” by Styx.
In the following weeks, he documented his time working in the ship’s engineering department, sharing a selection of photos on Instagram and Facebook nearly every night. His photos and captions provided a glimpse into what the cadets were learning as the ship traveled up the East Coast from Fort Lauderdale to Quebec City, Philadelphia and Boston before returning to Galveston.
“Unbeknownst to me, my little posts started to gain traction,” Johnson said. “My mom started sharing them with the parents’ Facebook group. Then I kept doing it because it gave people who weren’t on the ship a perspective of what was going on and what life is like during Sea Term.”
Training Future Maritime Leaders
The Texas A&M Maritime Academy is one of just six state maritime academies in the U.S. and the only academy in the Southern United States. The academy trains over 400 cadets annually for maritime service and employment worldwide. Cadets earn an undergraduate or graduate degree while undergoing U.S. Coast Guard training in pursuit of their license to serve as officers aboard ocean-going and inland waterway vessels.
For Johnson, participating in the academy’s annual Summer Sea Term provides him with the required sea time he must accrue to graduate with a degree in marine engineering technology and a third engineer’s license, in addition to offering hands-on experience in operating a ship and building maritime skills. He said it was an invaluable opportunity to be fully immersed in what it’s like to live and work aboard a ship.
In addition to performing general maintenance on the TS Kennedy, he picked up valuable skills during lectures and labs that he’ll be able to apply to his future career in the maritime industry.
Photos courtesy of Lance Johnson.
“Some of this stuff is crucial. There was a day where we were down in the steering gear room in the aft (rear) of the ship and we were taught how it actually works and how you can operate it if there is no power,” Johnson said. “While we were learning things specific to our ship, they’re applicable to other ships, too.”
Johnson has always wanted to know how things work — to be able to take something apart and put it back together, understanding each individual part — which made engineering the perfect fit when he began exploring which area of the maritime industry he wanted to pursue. With the industry facing a national shortage of licensed workers, he’ll have his pick of career options after graduation.
Fewer people know about the engineering side than they do the transportation and deck side, so that’s also part of why I ended up sharing my posts.
“I could have gone deck-side and done a marine transportation major, but I chose engineering because, in my mind, it’s more crucial for running the ship,” he said. “Down in the engine room, we keep the whole ship running, giving us the actual drive to go places. Fewer people know about the engineering side than they do the transportation and deck side, so that’s also part of why I ended up sharing my posts.”
Through his many photos taken deep within the bowels of the TS Kennedy, Johnson showed his social media followers what he learned at the end of each day. In one post, sparks fly as he works at a welding bench. In another, he works in the engine room, where he helps replace a burner for the boiler.
Johnson’s Summer Sea Term wasn’t all work. He also photographed the slower moments, like cadets posing with the fish they caught off the fantail at the back of the boat and the serene views of the sun setting over the water as the ship sailed up the St. Lawrence River to Quebec City.
“If I were to tell younger me that I would be doing this, I don’t think I would have believed it,” he said. “The idea of going to college and learning how to actually run a vessel is not an experience you can get at any other college.”
Texas A&M Maritime Academy’s Summer Sea Term
The Texas A&M Maritime Academy departs for this year’s Summer Sea Term in early May from Galveston, Texas. You can follow their journey and learn more about the hands-on training cadets undergo during their two-month term by signing up for the Galveston Campus’ monthly newsletter, bldg. 311.
