Naval lab partnership highlighted as Santa Paula student wins SMART Scholarship

Dr. Ramon Flores, STEM Director at the Naval Surface Warfare Center, Point Mugu Division, addressed the Santa Paula Unified board during public comment to thank trustees for approving an educational partnership between the lab and the district. Flores said the collaboration exposes students to advanced technologies and mentorship and cited the SMART Scholarship (Science, Mathematics and Research for Transformation) as an example of an opportunity created by the partnership.

“One of the most impactful programs connected to this effort is the SMART Scholarship,” Flores said, describing it as a highly competitive scholarship that provides full tuition and annual stipends (presenter cited amounts up to $40,000). He highlighted Luis Angel Avila as a recent recipient and spoke about the program’s role in connecting students to STEM careers.

Avila told the board he began in the district’s pre-engineering program at Santa Paula High School, returned as a mentor, and said the scholarship relieved financial burden and helped him pursue mechanical engineering. The board received the comments as part of public comment and did not take formal action on the partnership during the meeting.