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A Sense of Belonging

Savannah Riera | December 12, 2022

My life journey, cultural upbringing, values and moving overseas to Lima, Peru for over five years was an impactful event in my life and a period of personal growth. It illuminated my vision of the world, reset my purpose and cemented my goal to pursue a career in the United States Coast Guard. I was raised in a multicultural household as a second generation Hispanic, with strong family roots, unwavering work ethic and a love of God and country. I was taught to be inquisitive and tolerant of other people’s cultures and beliefs.

During my upbringing, I was always close to my culture and my family traditions. One of the several reasons that I love the Academy is due to the multiple affinity councils and the ability to embrace your culture, celebrations and traditions with other people. The councils allow the opportunity to stay connected for important holidays and traditions, they help facilitate speaking different languages, and they provide a sense of community and familiarity.

Being able to immerse myself in my culture and be around others with similar upbringings not only provides a sense of belonging, but it also makes the Academy feel more like home. The affinity councils establish connections among the Corps of Cadets, help 4/c members of the Corps meet new people, develop meaningful relationships, as well as allow for relaxation and friendships. The Coast Guard Academy does an amazing job of uniting Cadets, teaching how to work together, develop bonds that can be used in the fleet as an Officer, and finally how to bring a sense of culture and inclusion to where a Cadet could possibly be stationed in the future.

About Savannah

Hometown: Cranford, NJ
Major: Government
Email: Savannah.M.Riera@uscga.edu

Sponsor Family Application

Thank you for submitting your application to be part of the Sponsor Family Program. Your application will be processed in the upcoming week. Coast Guard Academy’s policy on background screening now requires all adults (everyone 18 and older living in the home) who volunteer to mentor, teach, coach or sponsor cadets, whether on or off Coast Guard Academy grounds, to be screened every 5 years. They are required to provide personal information (name, birth date and social security number) for the purpose of conducting a criminal background check.

The Security Officer at the Coast Guard Academy, CWO2 Gina Polkowski, is overseeing this process. Her email is: Gina.M.Polkowski@uscg.mil.

Sponsor Family designations fall into several different categories. Below are the guidelines to help you determine how best to meet the background screening requirement:

If you are Coast Guard active duty you do not need to apply for an additional Background Check. You will be vetted through the Coast Guard system by CWO2 Polkowski.
If you are a Civilian working for the Coast Guard you do not need to apply for an additional Background Check. You will be vetted through the Coast Guard system by CWO2 Polkowski.
If you are non-Coast Guard Active Duty, you are required to provide proof of your current security clearance or National Agency Check that is to be emailed by your Command Security Officer (CSO)/ Security Office to CWO2 Polkowski at Gina.M.Polkowski@uscg.mil.
If you are non-Coast Guard civilian who has a current security clearance or National Agency check, you are required to provide proof of your current security clearance or National Agency Check that is to be emailed by your Command Security Officer (CSO)/ Security Office to CWO2 Polkowski at Gina.M.Polkowski@uscg.mil.
All civilians in the families who are 18 years or older and do not have a security clearance or a National Agency Check are required to be vetted through Mind Your Business, the third party vendor hired by the Coast Guard Academy for the vetting process.

After you complete your application, please e-mail the Sponsor Family Program Coordinator at CadetFamilySponsorProgram@uscga.edu. In your e-mail, you must include the e-mail address and phone number of every adult living in the home. The Sponsor Family Coordinator will then initiate the background check process and you will receive an email with further instructions.

Important things to note:

There is a Sponsor Family Training that is a one-hour training which we ask sponsors to attend once every four years. This training is designed to give you an overview of the program, what is expected of you as a sponsor, and what you can expect from your cadets. This training will also help familiarize you with the cadet regulations onboard CGA. You will be notified via e-mail once the training is scheduled.

The matching process of swabs to families will occur during July and August. Please bear with us and remain flexible through this process. There will be a meet and greet scheduled on Campus, typically in late August. This will give families an opportunity to formally meet their cadet if they have not already done so. Details on this will also be via email.