I basically grew up on the water. I’ve been sailing since I was six months old, spending summers onboard my family’s sailboat out of Muskegon, Michigan. Being on the water, I was often around freighters delivering cargoes of coal, stone and cement to Muskegon. Sailing the wind and the waves, I would watch the giant freighters majestically glide by.

My fate as a Boatnerd was sealed when I was nine years old. A family friend gifted me a copy of Know Your Ships. Little did I know that this newfound passion would take me into my future. My 17 seasons of sailing on our boat Sleeping Bear and a copy of Know Your Ships helped expose my love for sailing and freighters – and inspire me to pursue a career in the Great Lakes maritime industry.

The First Step

A year after I received my first Know Your Ships book, I was sitting at home one evening, bored and looking for something to do. I got out some pens, pencils, crayons and paper, and wrote a newsletter about Great Lakes shipping news. I called it “Shipwatcher News.”

The front page was decorated with a picture of the St. Mary’s Challenger/Bradshaw McKee that I drew, accompanied by a short article about different happenings at the beginning of the 2014 season. Thus, my newsletter was born and for the years following, I would put out a new edition every month or two. I started with only three subscribers. That number has since surpassed 250 and counting.

As I continued to immerse myself with anything related to freighters, I began to draw a big interest into the design and style of the ships. From the classics of the 1950s and before to the supercarriers of the 1970s, I was captivated by the boats.

The design of Great Lakes freighters is especially unique to our region. Sure, they may share some features with ocean ships, but since we have a much smaller body of water and size-limiting locks, engineers made the best of their constraints and designed ships to do the job. I especially love the character and unique designs of the classic-styled lakers.

Both of my parents are civil engineers, so I have often felt that engineering runs in my blood. I was inspired to follow a similar path, except I wanted to do something related to the boats.

I discovered naval architecture and marine engineering while I was in middle school. Immediately knew what I was going to be when I grew up. It may not be quite as cool to some as being a captain of a ship, but to me it’s a perfect fit, combining the best of both worlds – boats and engineering.

After doing some research at school, I found out about the Naval Architecture & Marine Engineering department at University of Michigan’s College of Engineering. It was then I began the journey I sail today, aiming to attend University of Michigan.

A New Era

In February 2020, I completely redesigned the newsletter to feature 10 pages of news, photos and history. Influenced by my dream to become a naval architect, I added in a column titled, In the Design. The new column covers topics related to Naval Architecture & Marine Engineering and discusses design features and trends unique to Great Lakes ships, as well as those on the ocean.

Aiming to provide accurate information to my supportive readers, I reached out to several naval architects in the region to meet with and discuss these unique topics. This column has provided me the opportunity to learn more about the day-to-day operations of a naval architect, as well as create important connections to jump start my career.

The naval architects I have met with have encouraged and supported me. Their mentorship has allowed me to improve my newsletter and prepare for college applications.

As I enter my senior year of high school, I am surprised at how fast everything in my life has happened so far. I’m nearing the end of my time in high school, and I cant believe that I’m preparing my college applications already. It felt like only yesterday I was walking the halls of Bath High School for the first time as a freshman.

This fall, I will be applying to the University of Michigan’s College of Engineering. There, I plan to major in naval architecture and marine engineering. This has been my dream, and I am excited by the possibility of attending this program. Following college, I hope to someday enter the Great Lakes maritime industry. With upcoming changes in the shipping scene, I look forward to someday designing ships and bringing our current fleet into the future.