Image: Massachusetts Maritime AcademyCadet Jamison Walz, MSEP major, on a Carnival Cruise Ship in the winter of 2011.Because working as an Environmental Of? cer involves interaction with a wide variety of nationalities and cultures, good communication skills are also paramount. MSEP stu-dents at Mass. Maritime present their co-op projects to faculty and other cadets as part of their training. The regimentation of a quasi-military environment also helps to instill a certain amount of discipline and leadership skills, something many professionals don’t learn until it is far too late.The Academy has two exchange programs that MSEP stu-dents can participate in. These include the Shanghai Maritime University semester-long program where students study and live in China with Chinese students, as well as a month-long co-op program at the International Maritime University of Panama. Students live and study with Panamian cadets and learn about the businesses along the canal. All of these op-portunities serve MSEP students well as they prepare for the next step.On the JobFrancis Veale, an environmental attorney and now Associate Professor at the Massachusetts Maritime Academy, teaches