Five students studying fields related to the maritime trades and marine sciences have been awarded nearly $7,000 in scholarships from the Port Townsend Yacht Club.

Erika Ensminger has plans of starting up her own fishing outfit and captaining her boat. Ensminger’s studies through the Marine Systems program at the Northwest School of Wooden Boatbuilding will no doubt prove invaluable once she’s fishing the open seas.

Ella Ashford is looking to continue to be a voice for equitable marine and environmental policy within from the vantage of marine engineering, sociology, education technology and public policy.

Emma Gunn Thompson grew up on the water and is now looking to complete her Coast Guard certification to pilot vessels up to 100 tons. Gunn Thompson said her dream is to lead programs like those on the schooners Martha and Adventuress that provide experiential learning and team building on the water.

Trevor Warren successfully completed the Northwest School of Wooden Boatbuilding’s Traditional Boatbuilding Program and is now enrolled in the school’s Marine Systems program. Warren plans to take his general boat and marine systems experience into the marine trades industry with the goal of becoming a systems technician and diesel mechanic.

Emily Perkins has a passion for fixing and building things so they operate more efficiently. Boats have provided a perfect environment for her to expand this interest, particularly during her last year of working at the Port Townsend Shipwright’s Co-Op. She is enrolled in the Wooden Boatbuilding School’s Marine Systems program to build her knowledge which she plans to continue to utilize at the Co-Op once completed.

“Even during this COVID pandemic, our yacht club membership stepped up with individual donations to make this year’s scholarship awards possible,” said Paul Eisenhardt, chairman of the PTYC Scholarship Committee. “The plans each of our five highly-deserving recipients ... strongly support the marine diversity goals of our scholarship program,” Eisenhardt added.