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Joshua Carter

Joshua Carter
Strategic & Computing Systems Department


What school did you attend?
University of Central Florida, College of Optics and Photonics. Graduated in December 2021. My freshman year of school, I was accepted into the Science, Mathematics and Research for Transformation Scholarship (SMART) program. The SMART program is a highly competitive scholarship that combines scholarship and workforce development for undergraduate students pursuing careers in STEM-related fields. It shaped me as a man, because immediately after receiving the scholarship, I had the worst performance of my entire academic career. I honestly coasted through high school. So when my second year of college came around and I got into my major, I had to teach myself how to study. That’s when learning for me went from passive to active.

How long have you been employed at NSWCDD?
1 year. I started on February 14, 2022. 

What do you like the most about your job?
I love that I get to come to work every day and support our nation through my work as an engineer and inventor. I love that I am able to use a lot of the skills I have been building my entire life in exactly the way I am best suited for. I truly believe that I am in the right place doing what I was made to do. I like that this job challenges me every day to be better, and that there is no end to what I can learn and improve on. 

What advice do you have for those looking to pursue the engineering career path?
My advice for those pursuing engineering is to never shy away from a challenge or think an idea is too outlandish to be made real. There is a quote I love that says “any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from divinity.” The truth is that the laws of reality and its phenomena allow for a much wider group of technologies than we ever assume possible. Constantly the bounds of possibility are broadened by discovery.

Why did you choose to work for the Navy?
I chose to work for the Navy mainly because I was accepted into the SMART program. I really love this country and what we stand for and that really drives me to do the best work that I can. We stand at a point in American history where our way of life and thinking allows for more innovation and creativity. I think we need to really push the boundaries of how we produce technology for the warfighter. This is the strategic advantage of our freedom here.