Next summer, the Naval Facilities Engineering Systems Command (NAVFAC) Southeast will welcome its first-ever Science, Mathematics, and Research for Transformation (SMART) Scholarship recipients to the workforce.
In 2023, NAVFAC Southeast was accepted as a Sponsoring Facility for the SMART Scholarship-for-Service Program, a combined educational and workforce development opportunity for science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) students. During its inaugural year, NAVFAC Southeast selected four scholars to join the command as interns and full-time employees following their respective college graduations.
As the clock counts down to the start of their professional journeys, let’s introduce the first-ever NAVFAC Southeast SMART Scholars:
The first SMART Scholar hails from Colorado Springs, Colorado. Carter Gonzalez is an environmental engineering student at the Colorado School of Mines in Golden. In his free time, he enjoys running, hiking, and playing club ultimate frisbee with his school.
Gonzalez’s first introduction to the engineering field was through a middle school elective that explored different engineering disciplines. The class allowed students to apply these principles to multiple projects. He soon became “hooked” on engineering, specifically environmental engineering, and continued to grow this interest throughout school. When it was time to choose a college major, he described it as “an easy choice” and continued to pursue his passion in his home state.
NAVFAC Southeast particularly piqued Gonzalez’s environmental interests because of the command’s experience with PFAS, or perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances. During his site visit to NAVFAC Southeast’s headquarters at Naval Air Station (NAS) Jacksonville, he enjoyed getting an up-close look at a PFAS monitoring site, a hazardous waste management facility, and the base’s water treatment plant.
“In the last semester, I studied under a professor at my school who had done PFAS site remediation with the Air Force, a very similar situation to many of the sites that NAVFAC monitors,” Gonzalez explained. “I have taken an interest in this, and the fact that NAVFAC shares this goal was a perfect opportunity to continue to learn and develop expertise on the subject.”
Career path: Gonzalez is anticipated to earn his bachelor’s degree in 2026 while interning with NAVFAC Southeast during the summers of 2025 and 2026. But he’s not stopping there. He aims to earn his master’s degree by 2027 and join NAVFAC Southeast as a full-time employee that summer.
NAVFAC Southeast’s next SMART Scholar is Jordyn Sitson, a native of Jacksonville, Florida, and an avid music lover. Since learning to play the piano at age six, she has become “obsessed” with learning more instruments. She has learned to play the drums, bass, and guitar, with the latter being her favorite. Sitson is an information technology student at the University of Central Florida in Orlando.
Sitson’s interest in technology developed naturally, as she grew up alongside its advances and inevitable complications. One instance that stuck with her was the 2018 Facebook-Cambridge Analytical data scandal when the personal data of millions of Facebook users was collected without their consent and largely used for political advertising. This incident made her realize that personal information is a “vulnerable tool that can be stolen and misused by others.” She decided then to focus on cybersecurity to protect people's data and ensure the security of everyone around her. Sitson explained that “cybersecurity combined my passion for helping people with my love of technology.”
Sitson will also accomplish a more personal goal by utilizing her SMART Scholarship and working at NAVFAC Southeast. “Many of my family members have a history of serving in the Navy while based in Jacksonville,” she said. “I was greatly inspired to follow in their footsteps while also staying close to home.” Working in her hometown combined with the potential to explore more topics in the technology sector is what Jordyn described as the “perfect opportunity.”
Career path: Sitson is anticipated to earn her bachelor’s degree in 2025 and join NAVFAC Southeast as a full-time employee that year. Despite only being required to work one year to fulfill the scholarship’s requirements, she hopes to “stay on and continue working full-time alongside everyone here at NAVFAC.”
The next SMART Scholar is Harrison Green, originally from Randolph, New Jersey. Despite the small population size in Randolph, Green’s travel journeys stretch much farther, as he lived over 9,500 miles away in the bustling and tropical climate of Singapore for four years. In addition to camping and hiking, he enjoys playing golf and volleyball in his spare time. Green attends Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, where he double majors in environmental engineering and engineering and public policy.
Green’s love for problem-solving and innovation initially inspired him to pursue a career in engineering. He gravitated toward environmental engineering because of his childhood adventures outdoors, with activities like camping, hiking, canoeing, and skiing. Green’s involvement with the Boy Scouts of America is no surprise given his outdoor skills, but earning the highest rank of Eagle Scout is a testament to his dedication and commitment to serving his community.
Some advice Green offered for students who are looking to apply for the SMART scholarship is to “be transparent and highlight your applicable skills,” he explains. “Your application will be better received if sponsoring facilities can get a more complete picture of who you are, why you are applying, and what you want to contribute to the Department of Defense (DoD).”
Career path: Green is anticipated to earn his bachelor’s degree in the summer of 2025 and join NAVFAC Southeast as a full-time employee afterward. He is excited to work with NAVFAC Southeast and to “learn about and innovate new solutions to essential environmental problems.”
The last SMART Scholar hails from Saint Johns, Florida. Matthew Hadad is currently pursuing a degree in electrical engineering at the University of Central Florida in Orlando. Having been immersed in STEM education from a young age, Hadad experienced plenty of STEM-related concepts and classes that fueled his passion for engineering. His love for building something entirely from scratch has always been a driving force in his career journey.
As a self-proclaimed “geek” for U.S. Naval ships from World War II, Hadad was interested in the opportunity to work for NAVFAC Southeast to “help the nation with defense and military capabilities.” During the site visit onboard NAS Jacksonville, he had the chance to see the aviation side of the U.S. Navy by walking the airfield and viewing the P-8A Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft. One of his favorite parts of the tour was “learning about the technology used for the runway,” while he jokingly added, “Just remember to bring sunglasses.”
Career path: Hadad is anticipated to intern with NAVFAC Southeast for the summer of 2025, earn his bachelor’s degree in 2026, and then join NAVFAC Southeast as a full-time employee.
The SMART Scholarship-for-Service Program aims to bring new talent into the DoD civilian STEM workforce. The scholarship is a one-for-one commitment: For every year of degree funding received, the scholar commits to working one year with the DoD as a civilian employee. The SMART Scholarship includes full tuition, an annual stipend, book and health care allowances, summer internships at DoD facilities, an experienced mentor, and guaranteed employment with a sponsoring facility upon degree completion.
Candidates must apply for the program under one of SMART’s approved 24 STEM disciplines. The application period for the next class of scholars is open from August 1 to December 6, 2024. To apply or for more information, please visit www.smartscholarship.org/smart.