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    Local Students Graduate from NSWC PHD’s Pre-Engineering Program with Hands-on Skills

    Local Students Graduate from NSWC PHD’s Pre-Engineering Program with Hands-on Skills

    Photo By Jhon Parsons | Naval Surface Warfare Center, Port Hueneme Division STEM Coordinator Ramon Flores asks...... read more read more

    OXNARD, CA, UNITED STATES

    05.08.2024

    Story by Brian Varela 

    Naval Surface Warfare Center, Port Hueneme Division

    Local students touted their newfound scientific prowess at their graduation from Naval Surface Warfare Center, Port Hueneme Division’s (NSWC PHD) Pre-Engineering Program (PEP) on April 30.

    Over the past 14 weeks, the course exposed 34 Ventura County high school juniors and seniors to potential STEM paths. They performed various tasks with help from over 25 experts at NSWC PHD, Naval Facilities Engineering and Expeditionary Warfare Center and the Engineering Duty Officer School.

    The students — who came from school districts based in Oxnard, Ventura and Santa Paula — also worked with staff from California State University, Channel Islands (CSU CI) located outside of Camarillo.

    “It’s so important to invest in the next generation of engineers to meet the future needs of our nation — and, yes, that includes the future of our Navy,” Raoul Bustamante, NSWC PHD’s chief of staff, said at the event.

    Ramon Flores, STEM coordinator at NSWC PHD, said students studied different forms of engineering, including electrical, civil and mechanical at each session.

    In one class, participants pieced together parts and connected wires to batteries to build their own flying drones. They built a functioning circuit board in another session.

    Catharine Reznicek, a lecturer from CSU CI, also gave the group an overview of computer science, Flores said. Students used their devices to navigate various online resources Reznicek provided.

    This is the first year PEP included a computer science element.

    Flores also encouraged his pupils to collaborate, use their creativity, think critically and communicate freely.

    One highlight for Jasmine Mendez, a senior at Santa Paula High School, was engaging with her classmates. She was one of 18 girls in the class, which was the largest number in the program’s 25 years.

    During the graduation ceremony at the Oxnard Union High School District’s offices, friends and family cheered as each student was called up to receive a certification of completion and a letter of recommendation. The students also earned academic credit toward their high school graduation.

    Additionally, the students can apply for a high school internship next summer with NSWC PHD. Of the four openings in this year’s program, three are going to previous PEP students.

    Those accepted into the competitive summer program will learn hands-on engineering skills like soldering and programing, Flores said. They’ll also earn $4,000 throughout the eight-week course.

    John Kuske, a junior at Rio Mesa High School, said he is keeping his future options open, though he’s gravitating towards an engineering career in the Navy. He said he likes working with his hands and seeing tangible results from his efforts.

    Plus, he added, his father was in the Air Force, and his grandfather was in the Navy.

    “Maybe I’ll follow in my grandpa’s footsteps,” Kuske said.

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    NEWS INFO

    Date Taken: 05.08.2024
    Date Posted: 05.10.2024 14:05
    Story ID: 470693
    Location: OXNARD, CA, US

    Web Views: 182
    Downloads: 0

    PUBLIC DOMAIN