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Four Years of Highlights

Cheyenne Waters | October 31, 2022

What is great about each year at the Coast Guard Academy?

Freshman year – You might hear a lot of bad things about freshman or 4/c year at the Academy. However, even this year has its highlights. First, you make a lot of friends. You get to make a variety of friends. You will become close with your company and sports team, but you will also make friends in your classes and clubs. Another cool thing is that you are at the Academy. I know, but the Academy is really selective, and many students (including myself) dedicated years to getting in. It is always worth the time to stop and reflect on the hard work that got you here. Thirdly, Connecticut is pretty cool. I didn’t grow up in the Northeast, so I enjoyed seeing the beautiful fall and winter seasons.

Sophomore Year – You made it through freshman year. You have a lot more freedom and a lot less random stuff to do. You just have so much more time for whatever you want to do (chill out, extracurriculars, etc.). It is so much chiller than freshman year. My stress level dropped dramatically between the two years. In addition, you also get into your major classes which is so much fun! Finally, you get to help the new freshman which is very fulfilling.

Junior Year – There were two things that pleasantly surprised me about junior year. First, I am a lot more comfortable at the Academy. I know how things are and have fallen into a rhythm. I am still working on a lot of things (like waking up at the same time consistently), but I feel a lot more confident in myself. Secondly, I feel really close to the people at the Academy. I know my own class very well. In addition, I know many of the seniors and sophomores.

Senior Year – It’s an exciting time where you get to plan your future. You have a lot more freedom and a car! There are also a lot of fun events for seniors during the second semester. (I’m still a junior, so I bet I’ll have a lot more to say next year!)

About Cheyenne

- Hometown: Bella Vista, AR
- Major: Marine and Environmental Sciences

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.