Starfleet Academy Cadet Job Prospects Revealed

Warning: SPOILERS for Star Trek: Starfleet Academy Season 1Here are the jobs Star Trek: Starfleet Academy‘s cadets are best suited for when they graduate and are assigned to starships. Star Trek: Starfleet Academy introduced seven main cadets who represent the best potential Starfleet Officers of the 32nd century after The Burn. Although, Tarima Sadal (Zoë Steiner) originally enrolled in the War College before she was transferred to Starfleet Academy.

Star Trek: Starfleet Academy is about the Class of 3196. They’re the first cadets to study on Earth at Starfleet Academy’s original San Francisco campus in over a century, when The Burn led United Earth to break away from the United Federation of Planets. Starfleet Academy’s cadets are multi-species — Series Acclimation Mil (Kerrice Brooks) is even a photonic being — but they all have the right stuff.

Sadly, Star Trek: Starfleet Academy will end with season 2, cutting off the cadets’ Starfleet careers in their sophomore year. Executive producers and co-showrunners Alex Kurtzman and Noga Landau have also teased how the cadets will evolve in season 2, with some pursuing new goals from what they originally planned when they joined the Academy.

As of the end of Star Trek: Starfleet Academy season 1, however, based on everything we’ve learned about the cadets thus far, here are their first, best destinies when they graduate to become Starfleet Officers.

7

Ocam Sadal: Communications Officer

Ocam Sadal pointing in Starfleet Academy

Ocam Sadal (Romeo Carere) was a surprise breakout Star Trek: Starfleet Academy character. Ocam is Tarima Sadal’s brother, and he’s a Betazoid, though he doesn’t have his sister’s potentially dangerous psychic abilities. Instead, Ocam is a self-professed “joiner” who keeps his friends’ spirits up with his enthusiasm and offbeat humor.

Star Trek’s Future Got Canceled Too

Star Trek: Starfleet Academy ending with season 2 is a hard stop to both a TV series and the farthest point of Star Trek’s timeline.

Communications Officer would be an ideal role for Ocam, who is a people person and gets along with everyone. Communications would allow Ocam to be the heart of a starship, much like Ensign Nyota Uhura (Celia Rose Gooding) is on Star Trek: Strange New Worlds. As Communications Officer, Ocam would be a voice the captain and crew could trust.

6

Darem Reymi: Helmsman

Darem Reymi (George Hawkins) is literally Khionian royalty. Reymi entered Starfleet Academy as a self-styled ‘big man on campus,’ and with designs on becoming a Captain. Darem’s hopes to command a starship were, in part, a plea to gain the approval of his distant parents. However, in Star Trek: Starfleet Academy episode 3, Darem was faced with the realization that command isn’t in his wheelhouse.

Star Trek: Starfleet Academy season 1’s finale, however, offers an alternate career path for Darem, who was excellent at the helm of the USS Athena’s saucer section. Commander Jett Reno (Tig Notaro) noticed Darem’s skillset and believes he could be a great pilot. Not only is helmsman a fine post for Reymi, but, like Hikaru Sulu (George Takei), it could still mean a Captaincy for Darem one day.

5

Tarima Sadal: Chief Of Security

Tarima Sadal is a Betazoid harboring immense psychic power that she is just learning to control. Instead of enrolling in Starfleet Academy, Tarima chose the War College to learn a different skillset. Tarima can also sink a basketball over her head without looking, revealing herself to be an excellent athlete.

Given Tarima’s powers and underrated physical prowess, Sadal could be Chief of Security on a starship. What Tarima lacks in intimidating stature, she makes up for in intangibles. Tarima’s psychic abilities make her far more powerful than she appears. After all, Lt. La’an Noonien-Singh (Christina Chong) on Star Trek: Strange New Worlds proved a petite brunette can still be a hell of a Security Chief.

4

Jay-Den Kraag: Chief Medical Officer

Jay-Den Kraag Klingon in Starfleet Academy

Jay-Den Kraag (Karim Diané) joined Starfleet Academy with a clear idea of his chosen path: Jay-Den wants to be a healer and is on track to become a doctor. Not long after stepping aboard the USS Athena, Jay-Den had to help save the life of the grievously wounded Commander Lura Thok (Gina Yashere) in Star Trek: Starfleet Academy’s series premiere.

When Starfleet Academy’s cadets graduate, they will be assigned to different starships and missions, and it’s unlikely they will serve together.

Becoming the Chief Medical Officer of a starship appears to be Jay-Den Kraag’s destiny. Jay-Den is sensitive and compassionate; even though he’s a Klingon, Kraag has a kinder bedside manner than some other Starfleet doctors. Unless Star Trek‘s first gay Klingon completely alters his career goals in Star Trek: Starfleet Academy season 2, becoming Dr. Jay-Den Kraag seems to be a fait accompli.

3

Caleb Mir: Chief Engineer

Before Captain Nahla Ake (Holly Hunter) recruited him into Starfleet Academy, Caleb Mir (Sandro Rosta) survived alone in the galaxy for 15 years. Along with developing intergalactic ‘street smarts’ living outside of Federation space, Caleb inherited his brilliance and technical proficiency from his genius mother, Anisha Mir (Tatiana Maslany).

Throughout Star Trek: Starfleet Academy season 1, Caleb demonstrated that he has what it takes to be Chief Engineer of a starship. From reprogramming Starfleet Academy’s holographic security guards, to repairing the USS Athena’s damaged plasma coils, and even hacking into SAM’s holographic matrix, Caleb is a magnificent engineer who often makes it look effortless.

2

Series Acclimation Mil (SAM): First Officer & Science Officer

Even before her rebirth in Star Trek: Starfleet Academy episode 8, Series Acclimation Mil was tasked with the mission of being the Emissary of her people, the Kasqians. The ‘new and improved’ SAM retains all of her previous incarnation’s technical prowess and vast intellect, combined with 17 years of life experience being raised on Kasq as The Doctor’s (Robert Picardo) daughter.

As a photonic being, SAM is hyper-intelligent and possessed of multiple abilities. This makes Series Acclimation Mil capable of two important roles on a starship: First Officer and Science Officer. Mr. Spock (Leonard Nimoy) proved that one exemplary Starfleet Officer can perform both functions in Star Trek: The Original Series, and SAM can also be a starship’s Number One and Chief of Life Sciences.

1

Genesis Lythe: Captain

Genesis Lythe sitting in the captain's chair in Star Trek: Starfleet Academy.

It’s evident from her performance in Star Trek: Starfleet Academy season 1 that Genesis Lythe (Bella Shepard) was born to be a starship Captain. A Dar-Sha raised on starships with lifelong experience in the galaxy, Admiral Lythe’s daughter is Starfleet royalty. There is no doubt that Genesis is intelligent, incredibly driven, and an expert in Starfleet’s rules and history.

Genesis is a rule-breaker, but that’s also a quality that can benefit a Captain.

Genesis’ Achilles heel is her insecurity and self-doubt, but every great Star Trek Captain questions themselves and still makes the hard choices. Genesis naturally takes on leadership roles and can inspire others to follow and believe in her. Star Trek: Starfleet Academy episode 7 showed that Genesis is a rule-breaker, but that’s also a quality that can benefit a Captain. Just ask Captain James T. Kirk (William Shatner).