Rhianna Henderson '14 (Strathcona)

"We go to school for six months of the year, then go to sea for the remainder of the year to gain sea time for our Watchkeeping Unlimited Certificate. The way the program is set up is that every year we complete on average 16 courses, which are levels of each course. Each year, we take the next level of the course in order to continually advance and maintain our academic skills.

"In my first year as a cadet, I was employed by BC Ferries, sailing on board the Northern Expedition and the Northern Adventure, serving the Northern Routes of British Columbia. The Northern Expedition is a RoRo-passenger vessel measuring 150 metres in length, and the Northern Adventure is a passenger vessel measuring 117 metres long. We sailed between Port Hardy and Prince Rupert, and Prince Rupert and Haida Gwaii. I was on board for five and a half months.

"My second sea phase this past year was with Royal Caribbean on board the Oasis of the Seas. She is 362 metres in length and weighs 225,000 tons — one of the largest cruise ships in the world, carrying 8,800 people (crew and passengers combined). I spent seven months sailing both the Eastern and Western Caribbean routes."

Click on the following link to read more: http://bcshippingnews.com/magazine/industry-insight/industry-insight-rhianna-henderson-deck-cadet-bcit-nautical-sciences-progr