Coast Guard and University of Washington Tacoma Form Partnership

The U.S. Coast Guard formally established a partnership with the University of Washington Tacoma during a signing ceremony Monday at William W. Philip Hall.

Rear Adm. Jack Vogt, commander, 13th Coast Guard District, met with Mark A. Pagano, chancellor, University of Washington Tacoma, to introduce this cooperative between the U.S. Coast Guard and the educational institution.

Students, faculty, and Coast Guard members were on hand for the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding.

"The Coast Guard is excited to work with the University of Washington Tacoma to provide further opportunities for leadership, scholarships, and paths for public service,” said Vogt. “Together we will work to teach, develop, and guide the future men and women who will lead our country, especially here in the Pacific Northwest and abroad, and further national safety and security."

One such program aimed at assisting underrepresented students in achieving a degree, while concurrently enabling them to join the Coast Guard as an officer upon graduation, is the College Student Pre-Commissioning Initiative. This scholarship program is designed for juniors and seniors attending colleges or universities that primarily serve underrepresented populations.

"The CSPI initiative at the University of Washington Tacoma is unique in that it allows the Coast Guard to recruit future leaders from our tribal communities in the Pacific Northwest, a population that has been underrepresented in the Coast Guard,” said Vogt.