Growing up on the water, Alicia Martorella Poole, developed a passion for the sport of sailing. She first learned to sail at summer camp and eventually went on to teach sailing while attending LIU Post. After graduating with a degree in education, she pursued a career grounded in her love for the sport, “I’ve made a career out of bringing people out on the water because it’s not just about the sport or going out for a sail. There are so many lessons to be learned – whether it’s communication, teamwork, self-discovery, or self-reliance.” It is especially important for Alicia to offer those opportunities to populations who don’t live in areas with access to water.

Alicia has been fully committed to breaking down the barriers to sailing and access to the water. On February 6, U.S. Sailing, the national governing body for sailing, presented her with the Jim Kilroy Outstanding Outreach and Inclusion Award at the 2020 Sailing Leadership Forum in San Diego, California. The award, named in honor of Mr. John B. “Jim” Kilroy, Sr., is given annually to a program director or program that has made significant contributions to promote public access to sailing by finding and including people who wouldn’t normally have access to sailing. “It’s a great honor to receive an award in his name because he made so many incredible contributions to the sport of sailing,” she noted.

As assistant waterfront director, she has embodied Maritime’s strategic plan calling for championing diversity and inclusion, exponentially increasing the number of scholarship awards to more than $30,000 in 2019. Alicia also extended sailing opportunities for local students by growing the high school racing program and creating an after-school adventure program for middle school students culminating in a clinic and regatta.

Alicia has evolved Fleet Week into a STEM Day by providing hands-on activities to the NYC schoolchildren who came to campus to tour a U.S. Navy Vessel, and hosted Boogie Down to the Sound, Maritime College's first community waterfront open house. For many who attended, it was their first time on the water.“This is a great example of what the award means to me. It’s about reaching out to the community, finding a new community, building a new community, and providing access and an invitation to go out on the water. People typically think it’s complicated, expensive, or it’s not for them, but I am trying to break that mentality.”

Congratulations to Alicia for receiving the Jim Kilroy Outstanding Outreach and Inclusion Award! Maritime College is proud of your dedication and continuous effort.