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AIM Blogs

Marinn Peters

Marinn Peters: Post-AIM Interview

September 10, 2024

Describe your initial impression of AIM in five words or less. Challenging. What was the most interesting thing you learned about the Academy that you didn’t already know? I gained valuable insights about the Academy that were

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Gianna Banducci

Gianna Banducci: Post-AIM Interview

September 10, 2024

Describe your initial impression of AIM in five words or less. Intimidating, Exhausting, Connections, and Structured. What was the most interesting thing you learned about the Academy that you didn’t already know?  The most interesting thing I

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Gianna Banducci

Gianna Banducci: Pre-AIM Interview

September 4, 2024

How did you hear of the Coast Guard Academy? I heard about the Coast Guard Academy from a senior student at Ramey Unit School last year. What is the #1 thing you’ve done to prepare for AIM

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Marinn Peters

Marinn Peters: Pre-AIM Interview

September 4, 2024

How did you hear of the Coast Guard Academy? My first encounter with the Coast Guard Academy occurred during my extensive research on various aviation programs. While most aviation programs share similarities, the Coast Guard Academy stood

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Antonio Carmona

Antonio Carmona: Post-AIM Interview

August 6, 2024

Describe your initial impression of AIM in five words or less. Intense and nerve-racking. What was the most interesting thing you learned about the Academy that you didn’t already know? The most interesting thing I learned about

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Abby Converse

Abby Converse: Post-AIM Interview

August 6, 2024

Describe your initial impression of AIM in 5 words or less? This will be tough. What was the most interesting thing you learned about the Academy that you didn’t already know? One of the most interesting things

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Abby Converse

Abby Converse: Pre-AIM Interview

August 1, 2024

What made you apply to AIM? The Coast Guard Academy interests me because it offers an opportunity to serve something bigger than myself, aligning with my passion for science and engineering. I applied to AIM to get

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Clayton Stock headshot

Clayton Stock: Post-AIM Interview

July 30, 2024

Describe your initial impression of AIM in five words or less. What Swab Summer is like. What was the most interesting thing you learned about the Academy that you didn’t already know? The most interesting thing that

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Denzel McWhite headshot

Denzel McWhite: Post-AIM Interview

July 30, 2024

Describe your initial impression of AIM in five words or less. Challenging. Inspiring. Realistic. Fun. What was the most interesting thing you learned about the Academy that you didn’t already know? I found the dedication and support

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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:

  1. 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.
  2. 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.
  3. 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.
  4. 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.
  5. 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.

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Links from these pages to non-Coast Guard sites are provided as a customer service and do not represent any implicit or explicit endorsement by the United States Coast Guard of any commercial or private issues or products presented there.
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