This as-told-to essay is based on conversations for our Boot Camp video series with Hannah Mitchell, 18, a student from Denver studying marine engineering at the Merchant Marine Academy — the only federal service academy where graduates can pursue a civilian maritime career rather than immediately entering active-duty military service. This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
When I was deciding where to go to college, I had several options I was excited about, including MIT and the Naval Academy. My mom, however, had been nudging me toward another school for a while.
I was 17, trying to figure out what I wanted the rest of my life to look like, and I didn’t want my mom making that decision for me.
In the end, though, I chose the school she wanted, but not because she wanted me to. I chose the Merchant Marine Academy because it gave me more freedom to decide what I wanted to do after graduation.
If I’m being honest, money mattered, too
Courtesy of Hannah Mitchell
MIT was only financially possible for me if I accepted my Naval ROTC scholarship, which would have committed me to the Navy. Attending the Naval Academy would have put me on a similar path.
At the time, I didn’t want to lock myself into the Navy for years without knowing how I might feel later in college. I wanted the option to enter the civilian sector if I changed my mind.
I also wanted a little bit better base pay upon graduation.
At the United States Merchant Marine Academy, I can choose to commission into any of the six active duty branches of the military, or commission into the Navy Reserves and sail as a merchant mariner on a commercial ship after graduation.
My mom thought that the freedom and financial stability of the civilian option were appealing too, long before I came to the same conclusion.
Plus, for a long time, my dream was to join the Navy’s surface warfare community, and she believed the Merchant Marine Academy could give me a stronger path there.
Other people didn’t necessarily understand my decision.
Everybody had heard of MIT, while the Merchant Marine Academy was a tiny school that many people around me weren’t aware of. Some of my teachers even gave me grief about turning MIT down.
However, three months after joining the Merchant Marine Academy, I still feel like I ended up in the right place.
The academy was more intense than I imagined
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I had never moved around as a child. Coming to the Merchant Marine Academy meant moving halfway across the country and leaping straight into what felt like basically boot camp.
Pictures and YouTube videos hadn’t prepared me for how intense it would feel in person. When I took the oath on my first day, the whole experience felt like a fever dream.
Since then, I’ve had moments of self-doubt. I’ve thought, “I’m not built for this, I’m not supposed to do this.”
A swim test a few weeks ago brought some of those doubts back. I had to tread water for 15 minutes and then go straight into a 5-minute prone float, face down in the water. I could come up briefly for air as needed, but I couldn’t keep my face above water any longer than it took to breathe before going back under. I’d never made it much longer than 30 seconds doing a prone float before.
I was really worried I would fail. People around me cheered me on, though. That and the fact that I really didn’t want to have to do the whole thing again is what helped me push through and pass.
I’m starting to figure out which option I want
Courtesy of Hannah Mitchell
Life here has expanded in other ways, too. I joined the band and the rowing team. I’m now a varsity athlete, which is a very strange thing to say as a lifelong academic.
I’ve made friends and found a place for myself here. My mom tells me I’ve blossomed.
My plans after graduation are becoming clearer, too.
I used to really want to join the Navy. Now, after hearing professors talk about their experiences living and working on ships, I’m leaning more strongly toward becoming a merchant mariner.
I want to sail for a while and see the world. I’d also like to explore Europe and visit Australia if I get the opportunity.
My plans could change after I go out to sea during my sophomore and junior years. The academy requires midshipmen to complete 300 days aboard commercial ships, split up between sophomore and junior year, to earn the Coast Guard license required for graduation.
For now, though, becoming a merchant mariner feels like the right path.
That’s part of what I wanted when I chose this school in the first place. I didn’t want to have my entire future figured out at 17. I wanted enough options to figure it out for myself.
