SNAME Blog

Ebbetien Bullard was born and raised in The Bahamas and moved to Canada to continue her studies. She graduated with a B.Eng from Memorial University of Newfoundland’s Ocean and Naval Architectural Engineering program in 2018. From there she went on to work as a Marine Designer at Alion Science and Technology, currently Serco Canada Marine. After years of working in detail design, building a solid foundation for her career, she is looking to transition into functional engineering where her career can fully bloom.

She is very adept with CAD software and enjoys opportunities to bring together her love for visual art and her engineering knowledge to create. A graduate of L.N. Coakley High School in Exuma, Bahamas, she feels a social responsibility to give back to her school and community. As a result, she has taken it upon herself to assist current and former students of her alma with selecting and applying to various colleges and scholarships and looks forward to giving back to the community and creating more opportunities.

 

Get to know Ebbetien:

Q: How long have you been a member of SNAME?

A: I first joined SNAME in 2014 as a student member, then I joined as an associate member of ECS in January 2021.

 

Q: How has SNAME membership been of value to you in your career?

A: Being a part of SNAME has opened my eyes to how extensive the maritime industry is. The weekly publications that feature webinars have so often exposed me to different aspects of the industry.

 

Q: When did you know you wanted to pursue a job in the maritime field?

A: The summer before I began my Mechanical engineering program at the College of The Bahamas, I came across a magazine in the waiting room of the post office. I can’t remember its name, but it was solely about yachts. Growing up in The Bahamas, yachts were not foreign to me but this the first time I got a thorough, in-depth look at them. The ones in this publication had pools, basketball courts, and almost everything you can imagine – I remembered thinking, “These are mini-hotels on the water!” I was mind blown at the possibilities and knew then that I no longer wanted to design cars, I wanted to design ships instead.

 

Q: What advice would you give to those entering the maritime field?

A: To do your research of the maritime field and what all it encompasses and to also try your hands in as many areas as you reasonably can early on to know what sparks your interest and what you can excel in. The field is very broad and there’s so much different work that it’s important to at least have an idea of exactly what you want to do to ensure you’re enrolled in the right programs, applying for the right jobs, and making the right connections. With that being said, also never be afraid to switch roles if you feel something just isn’t for you – we don’t always get it right the first time around and that’s okay.

 

Q: What are your hobbies?

A: My hobbies include painting and customizing shoes, reading, creating things with my 3D printer, and basketball.

 

Q: What is your favorite book or movie or tv series?

A: My favorite books are Creativity Inc. by Ed Catmull and 12 Rules for Life by Jordan Peterson. My favorite TV series would be Black Mirror.

 

Q: Do you have any thoughts or ideas that SNAME could adopt to further help its members gain more value?

A: I’m not sure if this is offered already but if SNAME coordinated or facilitated relevant certificate courses or training that could help with professional development that would definitely be of great value to its members. I’m not sure if it’s only me, but I’ve had a hard time finding courses and training specific to naval architecture/marine engineering and professional development is something we all need and can benefit from at all stages of our careers.

 

Q: You mentioned yachts with pools. What's the most interesting or challenging marine design feature you've come across so far? 

A: I think the most interesting would be the entire Allure of the Seas by Royal Caribbean. It was serviced at the Grand Bahama Shipyard while I did my co-op term and I was able to view the general arrangements. That ship has just about every amenity you can think of and it’s enormous. It truly is an impressive vessel but the one feature I found most surprising and mind-blowing was its amphitheater.

 

Q: With so much going on just now, there are many opportunities for young engineers. What would be your ideal role?

A: My ideal role would be a naval architect role that focuses a lot on design and preferably in a shipyard environment. I’m very capable of conducting calculations, analyses, and research and I know these are important to the process, but through my schooling I realized that that kind of work bores me. I come alive when I’m allowed to be creative and innovative, when I’m challenged, and when I’m working on more tangible tasks. I believe this is why I excel with anything CAD related and also enjoy working in a shipyard where you’re much more likely to actually see a lot of what you’re working on.