SMART Scholars

Three ECU engineering students receive Department of Defense award

Three East Carolina University engineering students have been selected as Department of Defense SMART scholars.

Zasha Griffin, Matthew Joyner and Kyle Kirwin will receive full college tuition, annual stipends, summer internships, and after graduation, guaranteed employment with the Department of Defense as part of the Science, Mathematics and Research for Transformation (SMART) award.

The program is a workforce development initiative designed to build future STEM leaders in the Department of Defense, providing recipients hands-on experience at one of 150 DoD facilities throughout the country. The facilities themselves select candidates to meet specific employment needs.

Zasha Griffin

Engineering student Zasha Griffin talks about a research project during Research and Creativity Activity Week in March. (Contributed photo)

Griffin, a rising sophomore, grew up in Asheville, sparking an enjoyment of nature that is behind his choice to select an environmental engineering concentration.

“I was really interested in the environment, but I wanted to be able to do technical and practical applications, so essentially using my brain to interact with the environment,” said Griffin, who is also a Brinkley-Lane Scholar in ECU’s Honors College.

Naval Facilities Engineering Systems Command Southeast in Jacksonville, Florida, selected Griffin for its environmental section.

“My mom’s actually from Jacksonville, Florida. It’s funny. She left, and then one generation later, I’m right back there,” he said. “It’s nice because I will have some family in the area.”

Last month, Griffin spent two days meeting co-workers and supervisors as well as touring the location as part of his orientation. He also learned more about the mission of the command, which is to support military personnel where they live, work and train so they can be ready when called upon.

“It’s always been my dream to work for the public,” he said. “Doing public service is something that’s always been key to what I want in a long-term career. I want to use my skills and abilities in engineering to do that.”

He said the summer internship will help enhance the skills he’s learning at ECU, while a guaranteed job after graduation eases his mind.

“Knowing that I have a place to continue to develop my skills and become an ideal employee is something that’s really helpful to me,” Griffin said. “It helps me plan for my future and start developing the skills I’ll need early rather than on the job. I wasn’t incredibly worried about where I’d be in four years, but it’s a complete ease of mind knowing I have internships lined up and full-time employment after graduation, which I’m very excited for.”

Matthew Joyner

Matthew Joyner, left, chats with fellow students outside of the Science and Technology Building last fall. (Photo by Rhett Butler)

A senior from Plymouth, Joyner was selected by Robins Air Force Base in southern Georgia.

“When I was a kid, I wanted to be a fighter pilot,” Joyner said. “I couldn’t because of my vision, and so I thought it would be really cool to work on planes.”

Joyner, with a concentration in electrical engineering, said he would be repairing aircraft and retrofitting aircraft parts in his role at the base. He said the moment he learned he received the SMART scholarship was one he won’t soon forget.

“When I got that confirmation email, I was ecstatic. It sort of felt not real,” he said. “And then going and having that first orientation on the base and meeting everyone, it was just so surreal.”

Out of high school, Joyner initially looked toward acting as a career. Knowing that was not his path, he dropped out. A cancer diagnosis at age 22 prompted an inner discussion about his future. In remission, he returned to college at age 25 and eventually settled on a career in engineering.

“I had this really, really powerful moment where I was looking at a white wall, and it was so strange, but I understood for the first time what an atom was and how they worked,” Joyner said. “And then I realized that there is nothing more fundamental in the world than physics and then nothing more useful than the engineering of those physics.”

Joyner, who plans to pursue a master’s degree in engineering, said he is proud to work to support military personnel.

“My fundamental goal is to help people,” he said. “I feel I can use the knowledge that I’ve gained in the field and through my education to ultimately help people, so this goes right along with my values to help people, and I think the defense of the country — well I can’t even think of a strong enough word to describe how important it is.”

Kyle Kirwin

Engineering student Kyle Kirwin worked as part of a team on sound acoustics research last summer on the Outer Banks. (Contributed photo)

Kirwin, a senior from Swedesboro, New Jersey, was in the middle of a fluid dynamics class when he learned he was named a SMART scholar.

“I left the class and fell to the ground in the Brewster hallway,” he said. “Then I called my mom to let her know that all the support she has given me and all the work I have put in over the years had paid off.”

With dual concentrations in mechanical and biomedical engineering, Kirwin was selected by the Naval Surface Warfare Center Philadelphia Division.

“I will be working with the naval vessels at the center,” Kirwin said. “I am not 100% sure what specifically I will be doing yet, but I am going to be a part of the auxiliary machinery systems team.”

He said he learned of the SMART scholar program from a friend and classmate who received the award previously and from a relative who went through the program.

“After looking into it, it was the perfect way for me to advance my career and help me out financially while staying close to home in New Jersey,” he said. “Knowing I will have a guaranteed job when I graduate is one of the most important benefits of the SMART scholarship, especially in the competitive job market today. … I am very lucky to secure myself a future in the engineering field.”

Kirwin, who plans to pursue a master’s degree in mechanical engineering, said he looks forward to building relationships with co-workers and putting his ECU education to good use while supporting military personnel.

“It means a lot to be working for the Department of Defense,” he said. “My grandparents and uncles have all served this country, so I am honored to be doing work to help advance and aid the technology they use to protect our country.”