At 6:00 A.M. on Monday June 23, 2008 – some 45 students, families and teachers piled into a dozen cars and debarked from their homes in LA to do something that a year ago would have seemed inconceivable. They were dropping their daughters (sisters, students) off at the Point Loma Sub Base to spend a one-month summer internship working with engineers and scientists at SSC San Diego.  Through an extraordinary partnership between St. Mary's Academy, the Office of Naval Research, SSC San Diego, Submarine Base Point Loma and the overarching support of the National Defense Education Program - ten girls and two teachers were housed at the women's residency hall for no charge, and permitted to use the galley. Because none of the attendees had a car, all were transported to and from their labs each day in the Public Affairs van by the Captain's chauffeur.

During the internship the girls had the opportunity to attend in-house seminars, an unmanned underwater vehicles competition and off-site tours (navy ship, local universities, etc.). The girls participated in one of the STEM Learning Modules funded by the National Defense Education Program. Their teachers had participated in previous SLM workshops and wanted the girls to get involved so they could help their classmates next fall.

There is a Ugandan saying that no one family raises a child. While it is a fact that family and teachers do the heavy lifting, we are proud to provide additional support in terms of encouragement and empowerment so that these young women can continue to do great things. And of course, the prospect of them doing great things for SSC San Diego, has entered our minds.