As with students everywhere across the country, Brevard high school students are trying to choose their paths in life. … Many of these students are unaware of the opportunities in their own backyard, among them Port Canaveral. The port offers a plethora of career opportunities, including skilled trades, law enforcement and hospitality, just to name a few.”

Representative Rene Plasencia

With a variety of trade skills in practice at Port Canaveral, your proposal creates an opportunity and a needed pathway for students to prepare for and access the workforce.”

Representative Tyler Sirois

Commissioner Robyn Hattaway developed and founded a Junior Port Ambassador program to introduce area high school students to career paths

Within weeks of being sworn in, Hattaway went to work on what is now the Junior Ambassador Program for high school students in the port district. Hattaway worked with students, Brevard County schools, port staff and local business owners to design a program to introduce area youth to the vast array of career paths at Port Canaveral. Hattaway has run the program on zero budget since it’s inception, engaging the port partners who are excited to build their future work force.

With the support of Representatives Sirois and Plasencia, whose districts each include a portion of the port district, Hattaway received unanimous support from fellow commissioners.

High school sophomores and juniors are welcome to apply. There is no GPA requirement or essay. Hattaway hopes to reach students interested in trade skills, hospitality, military, law enforcement, or even space engineering!

In its very first year, junior port ambassadors went on to enter the U.S. Navy, the U.S. Army, and a welding program. At least one student also applied for a commercial fishing license during the course of the program!