Cadet of the year goes to Warsash Maritime School student

Southampton’s booming maritime industry contributes an incredible £2.5bn to the UK economy in a typical year, and the Maritime Solent Awards are designed to celebrate the leaders, innovators and emerging talent who make that possible.

In front of an audience of 300, Jasmine was revealed as the winner of this year’s Apprentice or Cadet of the Year Award – a prestigious honour which signals big things to come for early-career seafarers.

Sponsored by Carnival UK, Jasmine is currently in the second year of her studies at Warsash Maritime School and will soon be boarding Cunard's Queen Victoria before she finishes her studies in Southampton. On her win, Jasmine says:

“This award means absolutely everything. The hard work I’ve put in so far at sea and at university has made me realise it’s worth it. I couldn’t have come this far without the support of my lecturers, the officers' onboard ships, and my fellow cadets.

“I’m incredibly grateful to Senior Lecturer Deck Programmes, Nicole Fisher; she is a huge inspiration for female cadets to look up to.”

At Solent, Jasmine is part of the Warsash Women’s Group; a peer-led society which empowers women pursuing careers in maritime. As a member, Jasmine is a mentor to women in the same industry, advocating for improved gender representation in maritime and shipping. It was this, alongside her exceptional performance and advocacy of the role among women that has led Jasmine to this win.

For Jasmine, her path to a career at sea was unexpected. “I wanted to see the world for myself,” she says. “I’ve always worked in hands-on jobs, and I love getting stuck in. This looked like it was the perfect fit for me – getting to travel and be heavily involved with the behind-the-scenes operation of the job is really rewarding.”

Find out more about BSc (Hons) Nautical Science here.