Henry Sheppard rose from tough times, chose a career at sea and is sailing toward a promising profession, thanks to his own drive and to opportunities presented by the SIU and its affiliated Paul Hall Center for Maritime Training and Education.
Like many if not most 18-year-olds, Sheppard reached a point when he needed to choose his life’s path. Though he didn’t have some of the advantages enjoyed by others his age, he was motivated. His introduction to the Paul Hall Center’s unlicensed apprentice program proved an excellent match – Sheppard recently graduated from the school and shipped out as a wiper.
At age 15, Sheppard went into foster care in Seattle. “When I was 17, I was placed in Mary O’Donnell’s home and have been with her since,” said Sheppard. He said that O’Donnell is so loving and caring, he doesn’t consider her “foster Mom, she’s Mom.”
What Sheppard needed in his life was a humanitarian with a heart of gold, and one found him. “Henry was placed in a foster home with at-risk youths,” said O’Donnell. “Some of the kids were going through detox and had been in and out of detention. Henry is a great student with lots of drive. I couldn’t let this very special boy stay in that situation.”
According to O’Donnell, she worked with social services to have Sheppard moved into her foster home. When he graduated from high school, Sheppard went to community college. But, according to O’Donnell, “Henry’s the type of person who likes to pay his own way through life and was ready to make a decision.”
“I wanted a rewarding career now without spending a lot of time in class right away and owing money later to pay for it,” explained Sheppard. “I wanted to make my way now and also have time for education. My brother is in the Air Force and I looked at that, but it wasn’t for me.”
Sheppard said he considered many other options until Rich Berkowitz, director of Pacific Coast Operations for the Transportation Institute in Seattle heard about him and showed him a video about the apprentice program and the union.
“SIU looked straightforward to me and looked like it would give me a rewarding career with no false advertising,” Sheppard noted.
O’Donnell added that Sheppard liked the relatively flexible work schedule enjoyed by mariners because it would enable him to make money and still have time to take college courses. She also said Sheppard liked the idea of being able to work his way from the bottom up.
“The apprentice program looked good so I started on my unlicensed apprenticeship at the Paul Hall Center for my first 12 weeks,” said Sheppard. He noted he was so excited about starting his career and receiving training at the SIU-affiliated school, based in Piney Point, Md., he kept a diary of his experiences.
“Overall I feel that this program is very well-suited to its intended purpose of preparing trainees for shipboard life. There is nothing you do or learn here that doesn’t directly apply to living and working on an ocean-going vessel. The rules are a bit tedious at times, but are intended to weed out those who wouldn’t be able to handle life on a ship. If you can’t handle the three months you spend at Piney Point (for the first phase of training), the odds are pretty good you wouldn’t last long in a union that requires you to ship for a [certain minimum amount of time in order to accumulate seniority]. The staff at the school is really concerned with helping out trainees as much as possible and helping them be the best they can be.”
Sheppard described the first phase of the program as “a lot of hard work, but also very gratifying because I know that I am working toward a greater goal and what I hope to be a gainful career as a mariner.”
“I think he will upgrade at the school every chance he gets,” said O’Donnell. “The Paul Hall Center was perfect for him and I think I would be for other foster kids.”
After Sheppard finished the first segment of his apprentice training, he was assigned to serve on the Cleveland, a bulk cargo ship. His mission: humanitarian aid to Africa.
“I never thought I’d be on a humanitarian aid mission but it was great to give something back and move forward in my career,” exclaimed Sheppard. “It’s very rewarding… I’m glad I found out about the SIU. I was looking for a career in which you get out of it what you put into it.”
“Henry is very excited and his level of self-confidence has grown tremendously. He talks a great deal to his friends about his new life and loves the camaraderie onboard ships,” said O’Donnell. “It looks like a perfect life for not only kids who grew up in foster care but everyone looking to make a difference in their lives.”
Sheppard concluded, “All of the help I’ve received from brothers in my union has given me direction and put me on to a great career.”
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