Shipboard Exposure of a Maritime Professional

Abstract

This is a motivational study from a participant who successfully rose through the ranks in a male-dominated maritime profession. The study was designed to reveal the personal and emotional journey of a Filipina Seafarer toward achieving her officer rank. It utilized the descriptive case study type based on a real-life narrative. The self-written narrative of the participant was analyzed using Sentiment Analysis with Python Natural Language Text Processing (NLTK) 3.9.1 Text Classification. The positive, neutral, and negative statements throughout the narrative served as the basis for identifying thematic experiences and insights. From the analysis, several theme-based propositions were developed: (1) Resilience is built through hardship and becomes the foundation of professional strength. (2) Gender bias and discrimination remain real barriers, but perseverance can shatter them. (3) Supportive leadership creates transformational opportunities. (4) Faith and gratitude sustain emotional endurance. These propositions complement the Self-Determination Theory adopted in this study. The results encourage aspiring seawomen to persevere despite the odds, and call on maritime educators and shipboard leaders to foster a more inclusive and supportive environment for women at sea.