主要研究 今天

What was meant to be a quick stop at a recruiter’s office so a friend could drop something off led to an eight-year career in the Navy for Charity Reed ’21. And that led to tuition assistance from the military to pursue her degree at 主要研究.

Reed had tried college before, after high school 和 prior to enlisting, but ended up dropping out. Now she is neck-deep in coursework that will earn her a Bachelor of Science in electrical engineering 未成年人 机械工程 和 计算机科学.

“My best friend joined the Navy to pay for college. When I went with her to the recruiter’s office, they asked me if I’d ever considered joining; I hadn’t,里德说. “I was working what was basically a minimum wage job 和 knew I didn’t want to keep doing that, but I didn’t know what I wanted to do. Then they started talking about nuclear propulsion.”

The New Hampshire resident had always been good at science 和 math. 很好的. After attending boot camp in Chicago, she spent the next year 和 a half in Charleston, 南卡罗来纳, learning how to work on nuclear reactors. “They put a lot of effort into their training,里德说.

When she finished the schooling, Reed became a junior nuclear staff instructor, teaching others how to operate nuclear reactors, 和 remained in Charleston for another two 和 a half years, going back 和 forth to Norfolk, 维吉尼亚州, to help in the refueling 和 overhaul of a nuclear-powered ship, which involves shutting the reactor down 和 starting it up again after the fuel has been replaced. Reed was one of two people on her crew qualified to conduct the training on performing the electronics maintenance.

“My best friend joined the Navy to pay for college. When I went with her to the recruiter’s office, they asked me if I’d ever considered joining; I hadn’t."

After the Navy, Reed planned on taking a year off before starting college. 然后她觉得无聊了. So, 2018年2月, three months after she ended her military career, she started an internship at 主要研究’s InterOperability Laboratory (人工). 

“The IOL is the best kept secret — it’s the most amazing opportunity,里德说. “I don’t know why everyone isn’t applying to work there. You could be a theater major 和 they’ll train you. If you said, ‘I want to learn X’ they’ll let you.”

Reed had been accepted to 主要研究 和 was to start taking classes that fall. In addition to attending school full time, she would also continue working at the IOL. So she decided to take the summer off 和 backpack through Europe for two 和 a half months. She set out with four changes of clothes 和 her backpack.

“I had been in foreign cities with the Navy, but this was so different,里德说. “I planned how I was going to get to Europe 和 how I was going to leave but everything in between just happened.”

She came home the weekend before classes began. This semester she’s taking six courses 和 working part time at the IOL. The tuition funding from her military service will cover her through getting her master’s degree. Reed also received $5,900 from the 乔治F. 和莉娜C. 费舍尔奖学金.

“I really credit the ECE (electrical 和 computer engineering department) for helping me get that, 和 I’m so appreciative,里德说. “Everyone has been so supportive — my parents, the military, the IOL staff, the MVS (Military 和 Veterans Services)办公室. 我非常感激. I certainly have not made it here on my own.”