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Senior students in the Yates High School Maritime program recently took a big step forward in their education. On May 14, five seniors in the Maritime program received their Transportation Worker Identification Credential (TWIC) cards at the TWIC La Porte office. TWIC cards grant these students access to U.S. ports, waterways, maritime facilities, and vessels.

Card recipients and seniors Yovanni Cervantes, Reginald Thompson, Jason Covarrubias, Daerion Richards, and Armontré Manning eventually hope to gain employment at the Port of Houston, one of the nation’s largest ports. The Port of Houston is ranked first in the nation in foreign waterborne tonnage and U.S. imports and exports.

Yates instructor John Rydlund led the students on a tour of the port, which included the Houston International Seafarer Center Inc., Barbour’s Cut Container Terminal, and the Bayport Container and Cruise Terminal.

Hopefully these TWIC cards mark the beginning of long and fruitful maritime careers for the Yates students.