Cal Poly Maritime Academy Student Receives 2026 CSU Trustees’ Award and $10,000 Scholarship
Vincent Huff, a junior at Cal Poly Maritime Academy, has received a 2026 California State University Trustees’ Award for Outstanding Achievement and a $10,000 scholarship as the Trustee Emeritus Murray L. Galison Scholar.
The annual Trustees’ awards recognize CSU students for superior academic performance, personal accomplishments, community service and financial need. Huff and fellow awardees from the additional 21 CSU campuses were recognized Sept. 22 at the CSU Board of Trustees meeting in Long Beach.
“This award is really for the people who have helped me,” Huff said. “I went from being an 18-year-old kid who didn’t really know what I wanted to do, to being on this incredible leadership path in global shipping.” Huff grew up in Sandy, Utah, a suburb nestled against the Wasatch Mountains, just a few miles from Salt Lake City, and was recruited to play soccer at the Maritime Academy. As he researched academic programs, he discovered the business administration program with a supply chain management specialization in the Orfalea College of Business.
“I really had no idea what maritime was about at first or what the options were,” Huff said. “Then I got involved and talked with alumni and people in the industry and really began to understand this was the right path for me. I thought that this is exactly what I want to do with my life!”
From there, Huff credits lots of conversations with faculty, staff mentors and industry professionals for teaching him about the many available opportunities from shoreside operations to work aboard ships and the global systems that move goods around the world. Huff enthusiastically thanked his parents, Karen
and Anthony Huff, for their encouragement and support, along with faculty and staff mentors for helping him to get deeply involved in campus clubs, volunteer work and internships, taking full advantage of Cal Poly’s Learn by Doing opportunities.
Specifically, Huff named Nisha Kamdar, director of faculty development and assistant professor of science and mathematics at Cal Poly, for guiding him toward international internships. He also credited Tony Lewis, associate professor in international business and logistics and JoEllen Mislick of the Academy’s Community Engaged Learning Center with creating early opportunities for service and leadership. Those experiences led to a leadership role with the International Propeller Club, where Huff, fellow club president Kate McGowan and their student team received the International Propeller Club’s Student Port of the Year Award in Lyon, France, in 2025. Recently, Huff also completed a 10-week internship with TOTE Maritime Puerto Rico in Jacksonville, Florida.
After graduating in fall 2027, Huff aims to work in global shipping, strengthening supply chains across cultures and international markets. He also hopes to join a company that shares his commitment to giving back to communities in need.
“It’s part of my moral compass, to give back to people and communities in need,” Huff said. “It’s something that will influence the job I choose.”
Meanwhile, Huff helps other students find volunteer roles. He participates in up to five community outreach events each month. Two of his favorites include coastal cleanups and Rebuilding Together Solano County projects that assist older adults and disabled veterans in need of home and community building repairs.
“It is with tremendous pride that I celebrate the outstanding academic achievements and remarkable perseverance of this year’s Trustees’ Award scholars," CSU Chancellor Mildred Garcia said.
Since the program began in 1984, more than 500 CSU students have been honored with Trustees’ Awards. This year’s scholars collectively received more than $200,000 in scholarships, funded by past and present trustees and other donors.
Want more Learn by Doing stories in your life? Sign up for our monthly newsletter, the Cal Poly News Recap!
