Crowley Awards Scholarships to Two Williams-Mystic Maritime Studies Students

Students Ali Stevens and Michael Roy are getting the chance to attend the Maritime Studies Program of Williams College and Mystic Seaport this spring, thanks in part to Thomas B. Crowley Sr. Memorial Scholarships, which were presented recently by Crowley Maritime Corporation.

Stevens is a sophomore at the University of New Hampshire majoring in political science and minoring in marine biology. Growing up on Long Island, N.Y., Stevens was minutes away from the Great South Bay and the Atlantic Ocean and said that water is something she cannot live without. At Williams-Mystic, Stevens is studying the connections between individuals and the sea through an interdisciplinary curriculum that also allows for original research opportunities.

Roy, a student at the University of Rhode Island and native of Westerly, R.I., grew up along the beaches, waterways and fishing communities of New England. He said the culture of fishing was ingrained in him at a young age and he chose to attend Williams-Mystic for its reverence of the aquatic community.

"The Crowley scholarship has given me a closer relationship with the sea and with my community, and I will never be able to repay that gift," he said.

In the fall of 2009, Crowley expanded the scholarship program with the Maritime Studies Program of Williams College and Mystic Seaport, increasing its donation from $10,000 to $20,000 a year for deserving and need-based students in the program. This has allowed four students, two in the fall and two in the spring semester, to take part in the program, instead of one student per semester.

Since 1984, Crowley has provided more than half-a-million dollars in scholarship funding for approximately 200 students studying at maritime academies and other select institutions. The company has also donated more than $2 million over the years to support other educational programs.

In 1994, Crowley Chairman, President and CEO, Tom Crowley Jr., established the Thomas B. Crowley Sr. Memorial Scholarship Program, in honor of his father, who guided the company to extraordinary heights before passing away in 1994. The company continues to give scholarship dollars to deserving students in the U.S., Alaska and Puerto Rico. In 2006, the program expanded to Central America and to date has provided financial assistance to 30 students in that region.

To learn more about the Thomas B. Crowley Sr. Memorial Scholarship or how to apply, visit www.crowley.com and click on the "About Us<In Our Communities" section.