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Navy mines UMKC for talent in science, math |
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| Tuesday, 24 March 2009 23:00 | |||
 If this ad ran in any college newspaper, it might get quite a response: Get $3,000 a month during college and agree to five years of work earning upwards of $120,000 per year.For years, the U.S. Navy has tried to recruit students in math, science and engineering programs at universities like the University of Missouri-Kansas City to fill spots throughout their ranks in the Nuclear Propulsion Officer Candidate program. As part of their recruitment efforts, the Navy is giving students who are two years or less from completing degrees $3,000 a month while they are in school and then the chance to go to officer’s school to work in one of three areas in the nuclear propulsion area. The students potentially could be in the highest officer pay grade in the Navy, making about $120,000 per year by the end of their five years of active duty. Navy Commander Bob Lambrechts is an adjunct professor at UMKC and also the Navy’s campus liaison. He works to help spread the word about programs available to students interested in the Navy. “In the Navy, the No. 1 priority is nuclear propulsion and diversity,” Lambrechts said. Two UMKC students currently in the officer program are Jared Bayne and Sean Comer. Both are being paid to go to school and maintain at least a B average. Initially, having to not worry about money during school is something important to both students. “Now that I get paid to go to school, I don’t need to spend 30 or 40 hours a week working,” said Bayne, who also is a member of the UMKC robotics team. “This gives me a lot more time to focus on my classes.” “As I’ve been in the program the last year of my undergraduate program, it has definitely changed my perspective,” Comer said. “With the monthly stipend given by the Navy, I have been able to focus more time and energy on school work and gaining experience before leaving.” When students show interest in the program, Lambrechts said they are flown out to a coastal location where they can speak with officers to see what the program looks like up close. Lambrechts said this is done before the students officially sign up. He said there are three areas where students usually head. “The first is on board a submarine or aircraft carrier,” Lambrechts said. “Or they can go to Washington, D.C., to the reactors division. Sometimes there they don’t even wear a uniform. These are engineers who oversee the design and operation of reactors for submarines or air craft carriers. For those that are at the top of their game, they can go down to reactor school and become an instructor. They can serve as an instructor for their entire tour of duty. That requires a special individual.” With their active duty time still ahead of them, Bayne and Comer said they are realistic about the work that lies ahead in active duty, but also excited for the challenge. “Over the next few years, I’m expecting a lot of hard work,” Comer said. “I have a long way to go before being allowed to set foot on a submarine, but it should be a worthwhile journey along the way.” “I know a lot of responsibility is put on submarine officers the minute they report to their submarine,” Bayne said. “I expect that I’ll gain leadership skills from the experience. I know there is a lot of hard work involved and not much down time, but there are some chances to see parts of the world I’d most likely never get a chance to see otherwise.” Perhaps one of the unexpected benefits of the long-running program in the current economy is the job stability it gives students for at least five years and the potential for having needed training if they decide to leave the Navy after five years. “Financial aid is drying up and tuition is considerable,” Lambrechts said. “It’s guaranteed employment.” Bayne said many engineering firms in Kansas City are not hiring right now. “It used to be that graduates had multiple job offers,” Bayne said. “The worsening economy has definitely taken its toll in the field. It’s very nice to know I have a job lined up and am guaranteed at least 5 years.” Comer said he now sees signing up as an advantageous move. “At the time, the economy definitely wasn’t the first thing on my mind, and at the time I wasn’t worried about obtaining a job after graduation,” Comer said. “When I examined the program, I was looking for something that I could make a life out of, that I could truly enjoy for years to come and that I could have pride in, which I believe is the foundation of achieving the American Dream. “After watching the economy wobble, it is definitely a comfort to know I have a job secured for the next five years.”
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