Home / Academics / Academic Majors / Mechanical Engineering / Mechanical Engineering Featured Graduate: Cassandra Hawley

Cassandra Hawley

Class of 2014 B.S. Mechanical Engineering

LTJG Cassandra Hawley is currently a H65 helicopter pilot stationed Sector/Air Station North Bend, Oregon. As a pilot, she feels her Mechanical Engineering education prepared her well for flight school.

On practical learning

“I enjoyed the hands-on experiences the most while studying Mechanical Engineering because I am a visual learner and taking what we learned in a classroom and practically applying it to make tangible products aided in my understanding of the material.”

On applying knowledge

“The workload of my major definitely helped when going to flight school with time management and the content helped in understanding aircraft systems. There were things I understand a lot better with my Mechanical Engineering background than others such as what a cam is and how it works/plays a part in the system, engines, moment/center of gravity, all of which helped in understanding aircraft weight and balance and how important it is.”

On preparation for the future

“Mechanical Engineering is not easy, but it is very rewarding and opens a lot of doors in your future. Mechanical Engineering is a broad undergraduate degree and allows you to choose from a multitude of graduate degrees in the future, it keeps doors open in your career that require an engineering undergrad (the Structures Aviation Engineering program),and it teaches you how to solve problems.”

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.