Lauren Hanyok, director of the Capital Tech Bridge, is building new pathways for students to explore careers, including the Montgomery County Summer RISE (Reimagining an Innovative Student Experience) program, which she helped bring to NSWC Carderock Division.
Summer RISE is a short-term, shadow-based internship that introduces high school students, particularly from underrepresented communities, to professional environments.
“We didn’t have a program like this before, and what made it so valuable is that it’s not just STEM,” Hanyok said. “It gives students exposure to all the roles that enable the science.”
This broader focus sets Summer RISE apart from other Navy internship programs, such as the Naval Research Enterprise Internship Program (NREIP) and Science and Engineering Apprenticeship Program (SEAP), which concentrate on science and engineering. By engaging students across disciplines, the program highlights the full range of careers that enable NSWC Carderock Division’s mission.
Since its introduction at the command in 2023, Summer RISE has given local students their first look at that mission while creating a new on-ramp for the Navy’s civilian workforce pipeline. For many participants, the program sparked interests they had never considered, broadening awareness of Navy careers and planting the seeds for long-term retention, including through other programs such as SEAP and NRIEP.
Hanyok knows first-hand what kind of impact that can have. She participated in internships at NSWC Carderock Division from 2003-05 before earning her bachelor’s degree in aerospace engineering from Virginia Tech in 2006 and starting her full-time career at the command. After earning her master’s degree in ocean engineering from Virginia Tech in 2013 and participating in the 2017-18 cohort of NSWC Carderock Division’s LEAD program, she began a rotation with Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Research, Development, Test and Evaluation and became a plank owner of the Naval Agility Cell, now known as NavalX, which stood up and maintains the Navy’s Tech Bridges. She has been on a rotation as director of the Capital Tech Bridge, which is where she learned about the RISE program, since 2021.
By offering early exposure, the RISE program helps students see possibilities they may not have imagined for themselves, whether in engineering, administration or technical support. Families and schools also gain a better understanding of the Navy’s role in the community, reinforcing NSWC Carderock Division’s reputation as a place to start and grow a career.
“I like seeing people understand the thing they did not understand before and helping them get that ‘aha’ moment,” Hanyok said. “Programs like Summer RISE bring in voices that wouldn’t normally be heard because they didn’t even know we existed.”