Jaime Girtain ’26, a mechanical engineering major at TCNJ, has earned the prestigious Department of Defense Science, Mathematics, and Research for Transformation Scholarship.
One of only 500 students selected nationwide out of more than 10,000 applicants, Girtain is set to graduate with both a degree and a mission-driven career. The SMART scholarship will fully cover her tuition for the 2025–26 academic year, give her $1,000 towards books, $2,500 towards medical coverage, a $30,000 stipend, and an engineering mentor. It also guarantees her a civilian position with the U.S. Navy after she graduates.
“This scholarship means financial peace of mind, but more than that, it means purpose,” she says. “I know I’m walking into a job where the work matters.”
That job will take her to the Navy Yard in Philadelphia. While she hasn’t been assigned specific duties yet, she’s already met her team lead and manager and is eager to begin.
“They want you to rotate through roles to find what you’re passionate about,” she says. “You do your best work when you care about what you’re doing.”
Engineering has been part of Girtain’s life since elementary school, when she attended Camp Invention, a national STEM summer camp where she first encountered naval engineers and later returned as a leader and instructor. That early exposure led her to pursue other STEM experiences in high school and college internships, including the Naval Research Enterprise Internship Program for the last two summers at NAVAIR in Lakehurst, New Jersey.
“Working on support equipment for aircraft — things that make flight operations possible — helped me realize how important the behind-the-scenes work is,” she says.
At TCNJ, Girtain juggled academics with athletics, playing on the women’s soccer team through her junior year. She says the college’s close-knit community and project-based curriculum helped her grow as a problem-solver and leader.
“TCNJ connected me with talented professors in small classes where I’m not just a number,” she says. “Engineering Professor Tabrizi and math Professor Curtis took the time to write me recommendation letters for internships and scholarships like SMART, and their efforts helped me achieve my goal of becoming a naval engineer.”
Now that she’s starting her senior year and homing in on her own career aspirations, Girtain is encouraging others to pursue similar opportunities.
“Don’t be afraid to apply to things that feel out of reach,” she says. “You never know what might come of it.”
— Emily W. Dodd ’03