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Home / Admissions / International Cadets / Featured International Cadet: Orwin Austin

Orwin Austin

Guyana Major: Electrical Engineering Sport: Men’s Club Soccer Clubs: International Council, Officers of Christian Fellowship, Genesis Council, Aviation Club and Men’s Accountability Group

I was enrolled in Guyana Defence Force’s Standard Officers’ Course #51 when I got a call about an offer to study at the United States Coast Guard Academy. I was 16 months into the 24-month course at this time and excited to hear about the opportunity because I had always dreamed of studying abroad. As soon as I completed the last 8 months of the course, I was Academy-bound.

Deciding on a major at the Academy was not easy for me. My dream as a kid was to become an aviator, but my initial gut feeling was to try something that would be niche in my country. I saw I could continue to build upon the knowledge I already created a base for in all my advanced and college level studies prior, which was largely focused on mathematics and physics. I chose Electrical Engineering as my intended major. Due to my insatiable appetite for school, I decided that I did not want that much free time in my schedule and inquired on pursuing a double major–Electrical Engineering and Cyber Systems; I was advised that it was achievable, but of course, extremely challenging, so I said to myself, “Bring it on!” After the completion of my third semester as a double major, I am convinced that I made the correct decision and I have gotten to build upon my prior knowledge of electrical engineering, while introducing myself to cyber systems, which is a comparatively niche area of knowledge in Guyana.

After graduation, I see myself as a young officer at the Headquarters of the Guyana Defence Force, working in the Cyber and Intelligence Departments. I am excited to see what opportunities I have created for myself by pursuing a double major and observing the training at the CGA.

My advice to international students who are thinking about joining the Academy is to follow their hearts, dreams, and passions. Being a student is challenging, being in the military is also challenging, and being a student that must manage both academic and military obligations compounds everything. But that is exactly what being in the military is about. As military officers in charge of troops, you will have to make wise decisions and lead people through different situations. The versatility in which you obtain by studying at a military academy sets you up perfectly to become a strong and courageous leader, the kind of leader that a team can rally around.

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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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