Pearl Harbor Shipyard Awards First-Ever Robotics Scholarship
Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard Public Affairs - Septmeber 11, 2009
September 11, 2009
Katie Vanes
Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard Public Affairs
Tuition hikes at the University of Hawaii-Manoa (UHM) concerned many students enrolling this fall --
but not incoming freshman Lauren Sandborn. The Kaneohe resident is the first recipient of a newly
established Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard robotics scholarship, which funds up to four years of tuition,
fees and books for Sandborn to attend the College of Engineering.
The scholarship also means a full-time employment offer for Sandborn at the Shipyard.
The 2009 Sacred Hearts Academy graduate was selected from many applicants based on her active
participation in For Inspiration and Recognition in Science and Technology (FIRST) robotic competitions.
"I was inspired to pursue engineering by my FIRST robotics instructor, Mr. Devo," Sandborn said.
"I want to make it easier for people to solve problems."
The Shipyard Commander, Capt. Gregory Thomas, adamantly believes that youth participation in
robotics programs acts as a springboard to careers in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM).
As a result, Shipyard leaders, engineers and other volunteers with specialized skills are routinely involved
with coaching and providing technical assistance to students in robotics programs at nine local high
schools. Last school year, an average of 24 Shipyard employees regularly served as robotics program
volunteers.
The Shipyard's influence made a difference. Three Shipyard-mentored schools were top finishers at the
2009 FIRST in Hawaii regional competition in March.
Farrington and Punahou high schools placed as runners-up while McKinley High School advanced to the
world championships in Atlanta, Ga., the following month.
Warren Naai, a nuclear engineering supervisor at the Shipyard, has volunteered for robotics programs at
Farrington and Damien high schools for the past two years.
"I feel like we're building the future of engineering and giving back to the community," he said.
He recalled an example of how Shipyard volunteers and robotics programs motivate youths. "One student
was set on becoming a car mechanic directly after high school, but he went on to study mechanical
engineering at University of Hawaii-Manoa after our encouragement," Naai said. "It is a rewarding
experience to see kids go beyond their own expectations."
As Sandborn enters her second month of classes at UHM, she can also look forward to working during
summers at the Shipyard's engineering department. There she will find many other men and women
with similar life goals. The Shipyard is the largest employer of engineers in the state of Hawaii, with
more than 600 nuclear, mechanical, civil and other engineers.
Upon graduation, she will be offered a full-time position at the Shipyard with the flexibility to work in
another organization vital to national defense.
Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard is the largest industrial employer in the state of Hawaii with a combined
civilian and military workforce of about 4,700. It has an operating budget of $620 million, of which
more than $390 million is payroll for civilian employees. The Shipyard, strategically located in the Pacific
Ocean, is a full-service naval shipyard and regional maintenance center for the U.S. Navy's surface ships
and submarines.
