Alumni Spotlight: Q&A with maritime graduate Wes Cartey

As a former member of the U.S. Coast Guard, Wes Cartey was naturally drawn to study maritime at the San Jacinto College Maritime Training Center. He recently graduated and is now working as a second captain with T&T Offshore.

Q: Tell me a little about your background. Where are you from?

A: I grew up in Georgia and moved to Central Texas when I was 15. I graduated from Clifton High School in Clifton, Texas. After high school, I joined the U.S. Coast Guard and served for four and a half years.

Q: What brought you to San Jacinto College?

A: I received my captain's license after attending a captain training program in Florida and was struggling to find a job. I found the maritime program from San Jac and was excited to see that they were connected with industry partners and students were going straight into their careers after graduation. The internships that are integrated into the program were very nice to see and made it to where you could experience jobs while in school.

Q: Why did you choose to study maritime?

A: After my time in the Coast Guard, I worked in a few different industries. I enjoyed working on the water and furthering my knowledge in the industry. As I investigated the industry further, I realized I had sea time with the Coast Guard that would make me eligible to get my captain's license after training, and that seemed like a good fit.

Q: What has been the most valuable thing you learned in the maritime program?

A: One of the most valuable things I learned at San Jac was line handling. I expanded my knowledge on line handling and how different industries used the line to tie up ships or barges. It is a skill I still use daily.

Q: What was the most memorable part of your time at San Jac?

A: The most memorable parts at San Jac were the Maritime Games and Maritime Combine that we had my freshman and sophomore years, respectively. It was nice to put the information you learned to the test in a competition with your fellow classmates.

Q: What is a great memory you have from San Jac?

A: I volunteered with the Veterans Day service at the Maritime Campus. It was nice to be a part of the ceremony honoring other veterans.

Q: Tell me about your new job with T&T Offshore.

A: My first internship was with T&T Offshore based out of Galveston. They perform launch services to the larger ships coming into Galveston and Houston. During Christmas break, the manager reached out to me offering me a captain position with them as they were expanding the fleet. I started in May as a captain on the new utility boat. I am the second captain and using the knowledge I learned every day from San Jac.

Q: What do you hope your future holds?

A: I am really looking forward to my career with T&T Offshore, expanding my knowledge of being a captain, and moving up into a first captain position. I also plan to further the tonnage on my license.

Q: What would you like to share about your time as a student?

A: My time at San Jac was a great experience all around. Even with the hardships everyone experienced with COVID-19, San Jac stepped up and ensured all students were taken care of and kept on track for graduation. I highly recommend the maritime program they have and suggest anyone with interest to reach out and attend one of the information sessions they have.

Learn more at sanjac.edu/programs/areas-of-study/manufacturing/maritime/.