Last fall, the Port Townsend Yacht Club expected to award at least $8,000 in maritime scholarship awards for spring 2019.

But the PT Yacht Club wound up awarding more than $9,500 in scholarships to those interested in pursuing studies in boat building, marine trades and marine sciences.

The seven scholarships awarded by the yacht club this March add up to $9,620, which Elizabeth Eisenhardt, media contact for the club, noted represents a nearly 70 percent increase in total monies awarded this year over last.

“What’s also great about this year’s recipients is that they represent a good cross-section of the maritime industry, with many intending to continue fueling the marine trades industry and economy right here in the Port Townsend area,” Eisenhardt said.

Paul Eisenhardt, who chairs the Port Townsend Yacht Club Scholarship Committee, described this year’s selection process as especially difficult, given they had 10 “highly qualified” candidates.

“The seven recipients each exhibited leadership, marine experience and passion beyond what we normally see in our applicants,” Paul Eisenhardt said. “We are very pleased to provide scholarships to these recipients.”

Jim Pivarnik, commodore of the Port Townsend Yacht Club, characterized himself as “encouraged” by the variety of maritime programs targeted by the club’s scholarship recipients this year.

“The scholarship program is our primary vehicle for supporting the breadth of maritime specialties in the Port Townsend and Jefferson County area,” Pivarnik said.

Among this year’s scholarship winners is second-time recipient Samantha Rae, a second-time recipient who’s finishing her studies in the fisheries program at the University of Idaho.

Her goal is to gain employment at a fish hatchery, hopefully back in Jefferson County, then work her way up.

Kendra Wolfe plans to enroll in the traditional program at the Northwest School of Wooden Boatbuilding in Port Hadlock, and hopes to work in the maritime trades in the Port Townsend area when she graduates.

Tiffany Whiteford will be participating in the Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping Maritime Professional Training Program, with an eye toward working on research vessels and teaching children about marine life.

Sonia Frojen will be attending the Olympic College’s Teacher Career and Technical Education Certification Program this summer, and her long-term dream is to help create a Maritime Academy in the Port Townsend area.

Chrissy McLean will be going for her 100-ton captain’s license, and wishes to continue to work in maritime education, while Mave Lostonia will be learning boat canvas-making under the guidance of Inger and Sean Rankin.

And Nathan Eby will be continuing at the Northwest School of Wooden Boatbuilding, with the marine systems program. He wishes to work in a local boatyard, after which his goal is to open his own electrical and marine systems business in the area.

The Port Townsend Yacht Club is already in the process of raising funds for next year’s 2020 scholarship awards.

The yacht club has awarded these scholarships annually for the past 28 years.