STAR Center Executive Assistant and TECH Program Coordinator Grace Chrisman heads up the STAR Center exhibit booth at the Florida School Counselor Association (FSCA) Annual Conference in Orlando
STAR Center participated in the Florida School Counselor Association (FSCA) Annual Conference held in Orlando from November 13-15. STAR Center used the event as another opportunity to increase awareness of seagoing maritime careers and the broad range of untapped opportunities the maritime industry offers to Florida’s youth.
Throughout the three-day conference, STAR Center met with school counselors, career advisors and education professionals from across the state. The goal was to introduce maritime professions as viable and rewarding paths for students interested in hands-on, high demand, globally relevant and well-paying fields.
The STAR Center team provided informational materials, including brochures and digital resources, outlining how students could begin careers in deck, engine and steward departments. They also explained training requirements, certification pathways and scholarship options, helping counselors understand how to guide students toward maritime careers.
In addition, the Center’s staff discussed the increased need for skilled mariners in the U.S. maritime industry. Representatives highlighted Florida’s unique position as a major maritime hub with its ports and commercial shipping activity, making the state an ideal gateway for students considering work at sea or in the related maritime field.
Conference attendees showed strong interest in the STAR Center “TECH” hands-on apprentice engineering training program, which has been essential to American Maritime Officers in new developing USCG/STCW credentialed Third Assistant Engineers for safe and successful maritime service. STAR Center staff noted that many counselors expressed a desire for additional maritime career resources to share with students.
The STAR Center’s presence at the FSCA Conference strengthened its outreach efforts and reinforced its commitment to helping the next generation discover meaningful career opportunities in the maritime sector. By engaging directly with the educators who guide students’ career decisions, the STAR Center aimed to ensure that Florida youth were informed about the wide range of stable, well-paying, and adventure-oriented jobs available within the maritime workforce.