By Lydia Browne
Many students at BHS are beginning to think about what they want to do after high school. There are so many options—too many it seems at times—and students have their work cut out for them, researching and considering all of the opportunities available to them. The task can become overwhelming, and it is always a good idea to ask someone who has already gone through the process and benefit from their experience. Amanda Carvalho—a BHS grad and current college senior—is one such person.
As a high school student, Carvalho enjoyed participating in sports. “I was on the soccer team and the track team at BHS,” she said. “I wasn’t in too many clubs because sports took a lot of my time. And, because I was at school when COVID hit, I was only on campus part of the time, and there really wasn’t a way to be part of clubs online. As for classes, I really enjoyed my history classes, as well as my speech and debate.”
Like many students, Carvalho was unsure of exactly what she wanted to do for most of her high school career. “It definitely took me later in high school to make that decision,” she explained, “I didn’t really know what I wanted to do. [It wasn’t until] my senior year that I truly chose where I wanted to go and what I wanted to do.”
Finding the best college for her was an important process. “My college search was during COVID, so a lot of colleges had online tours or zoom calls that you could participate in to hear about the school. I did visit a few schools in person. I wanted to look at CSUs because I wanted to stay close to home. I was also looking for places where I could potentially play soccer. My family really helped me with the ultimate decision [for both what I wanted to do and where I wanted to go.]”
In the end, Carvalho decided to attend Cal Maritime, a CSU in Vallejo, and the only degree-granting maritime academy on the West Coast. Multiple reasons went towards this decision. “One of the big reasons was that I could play soccer here,” she said. “I was admitted early and given a scholarship because of that. My degree is also very interesting and unique. I knew I wanted to go into business after high school, and an International Business and Logistics degree seemed very fascinating to me.”
“An International Business and Logistics degree is really about transportation, meaning ships going from one place to the next,” Carvalho explained. “For example, if you’re online shopping, [ships] get those products from another country to you. I’m like the middle man when it comes to shipping. [Since] my degree is focused around the water, it is really nice to be able to learn a lot about the maritime industry [at Cal Maritime,] and to be in a very beautiful place while doing it.”
The classes that Carvalho has taken in college have provided her with many exciting and engaging opportunities. “One of my favorite classes is my Port and Terminal Operations class. I get to build my own port—where ships are docked—and I’ve been able to make a huge project with that. It’s a pretty unique class. I have also enjoyed my Entrepreneurship class, because I am able to figure out what it is like to run my own business if I decided to do that. I also really liked all my International Business classes, because I can understand foreign currency, foreign affairs, and anything else that has to do with business on an international scale. That has a lot to do with shipping, since we get a lot of our products from different countries.”
“I have really enjoyed my time here,” she remarked. “I was able to graduate in three years because of all the AP classes I took in high school. I have been able to learn a lot of leadership skills at Cal Maritime. Those leadership roles have made my college experience go by a lot faster, because I get to do so many fun things. I have been able to play soccer while still focusing on my degree, but I have also started playing rugby. I don’t think I would have had that opportunity at another school. You have the opportunity to try lots of new things at college. I’ve been able to go to a lot of [different] states, and I’ve been to many conferences to learn more and gain new skills and leadership techniques.”
Carvalho is set to graduate this May. “I am very excited,” she expressed. “I feel like Cal Maritime has prepared me for the workforce, and I’m excited to be able to use the skills that I have learned in whatever industry that I decide to go into.”
Through her experiences during her time as a college student, Carvalho has discovered a particular love of travel. “I get to travel a lot. Last summer, I went to Morocco,” she mentioned. “I got to learn a lot about life there and their culture, as well as the business aspects.” In fact, travel is a big part of what she wants to do after graduation.
“I love international travel,” she said, “so I hope to go to a few countries. I have yet to decide if I want to continue my education or go straight into the workforce, [but] I definitely want to travel, because I love to be immersed in different cultures.”
Apart from travel plans, she has countless options for what she can do next. “Because of Cal Maritime,” she explained, “I’ve gotten multiple job offers even before I have graduated. The school has really helped me to get those job offers and I am very grateful for that. Lots of people in my major [find employment with companies like] Amazon, Tesla, the Port of Oakland, Safeway, and a lot of shipping companies.”
In addition to her degree, Carvalho described some of the other degrees that Cal Maritime offers to students. “Our biggest [degree] is called Marine Transportation. That [relates to jobs] where you are working on the ship, and some [students] become captains of ships with this degree. We also have Engineering, which allows you to both work in the engine room of a ship, or to be an engineer anywhere [that you choose.] With Engineering and Marine Transportation, you can get a U.S. Coast Guard license to work on ships when you graduate. We also have International Strategy and Security. With that, you can go into [national] policy, the FBI, the CIA, or working with the sheriff or homeland security. That’s a really interesting degree. We also have Oceanography, which studies the ocean.”
“[If a student is interested in Cal Maritime,] I would [suggest] a bit of research on the school. Cal Maritime is unique because we wear uniforms, but [that can be] nice since you don’t have to plan what you wear in a day. It would be good to have some interest in maritime topics, or in the water, or international travel. It would also be good to visit the campus and talk to students about their experiences. Cal Maritime is really close. Lots of people don’t know that there is a college in Vallejo, but Cal Maritime offers some great opportunities. Come to the campus at least once. It is very pretty, and it is a great place to just walk around.” If you are looking into other options for colleges, she has a similar suggestion. “I would say just to research online. Find schools on social media platforms or just search on Google.”
Scholarships are also important to consider for your college experience. “This semester, I was able to pay my full tuition [with] scholarships. [Cal Maritime] posts [scholarship opportunities] on their website, but there are a lot of open scholarships in the Bay Area to which anyone can apply. It does take a few hours, but in the end, it’s totally worth it! Athletic scholarships are harder [to earn;] those are given to you if you are committed to a sport and your coach gives it to you. The truth is, not as many people as you think take the time to apply for many scholarships, so you have a really good chance.”
No matter what you want to do after high school, Carvalho provided these words of advice: “Don’t be pressured to go somewhere because of friends or family. Make sure that it is something that you really want to do. Find something that makes you happy, and you will be motivated to go to school or to work. It’s ok if you don’t know what you want to do. As a senior in college, I still don’t know exactly what I want to do. Even if it doesn’t feel like it, you have time. Some people don’t know what they want to do until they start working. Just have fun in high school and focus on school, and everything will turn out well in the end. Keep asking questions. If you’re unsure about something, it’s okay to ask, whether you ask a teacher, a parent, or someone else. Asking your questions now will really help you a lot in the future.”
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