Spark That Ignited Evelyn Ashe’s Engineering Career
by U.S. Navy Ashley Berumen, SWFLANT
September 17, 2025

Community outreach is one way Strategic Weapons Facility Atlantic (SWFLANT) builds trust and strengthens local ties. For the command, engaging with its local community is more than a goodwill gesture, it’s a way to invest in the program’s future and inspire the next generation of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics professionals.

Sometimes, that inspiration takes root early and develops into a fierce passion years later. At least that’s what happened with Evelyn Ashe ... Ashe, a mechanical engineering student intern, first learned about SWFLANT as a middle schooler in St. Marys, Georgia.

“STEM team volunteers came to St. Marys Middle School in 2018 and assisted with a model rocket launch,” she said. “Students had the opportunity to construct and design their own model rockets and then launch them on the school’s football field.”

That interactive event was part of Strategic Systems Programs’ (SSP) STEM Team’s mission: to deliver naval STEM education and outreach that sparks curiosity and prepares students for future global challenges. For Ashe, it was more than just a fun afternoon ... it was the beginning of her newly-found passion.

“I was a part of a STEM group at the middle school that participated in many STEM-related activities and field trips, but this particular activity sparked my initial interest in engineering,” said Ashe. “Caren Spahr was actually a volunteer at this event; little did I know she would later help me get my internship.”
Years later, when Ashe graduated high school and began exploring career paths, she knew exactly where she wanted to be: at SWFLANT where her passion for engineering began.

“When I was looking into what I wanted to study, I wanted it to be something that would lead to a life-long opportunity to continue learning and problem-solving,” said Ashe. “My dad is a lieutenant at the [Naval Submarine Base Kings Bay, Georgia.] fire department, so I sent him over [to SWFLANT] with my resume to see if there were any opportunities. He coincidentally got in touch with Caren Spahr, who gave him her email address.”

Spahr, the command’s process improvement coordinator and STEM co-lead, has been a SWFLANT employee for more than 15 years. She immediately recognized the full-circle moment and encouraged Ashe to apply for the Student Intern Program.

“One of the primary reasons for STEM outreach is to recruit our future workforce,” said Spahr. “Having an intern at SWFLANT who was a student in our first year of STEM outreach is a true measure of success for our program.”

Today, Ashe is one of just three interns at SWFLANT. When she’s not in class at the University of North Florida, she’s gaining hands-on experience in the office and production field, working alongside seasoned engineers.

The SSP Student Intern Program is designed to introduce students to federal civil service careers through meaningful developmental work. With flexible scheduling and impactful assignments, the program helps students grow professionally while contributing to national defense.

“I work with a great team,” said Ashe. “Everyone within my department is willing to help and answer all of my questions. They want me to do well and they want to see me succeed.”

Her commitment to STEM outreach hasn’t stopped. Ashe now leads a new initiative called Storybook STEM, held monthly at the Camden County Library. The program introduces children to STEM concepts through experiments tied to children’s literature.

“It’s rewarding to volunteer in our STEM program,” said Ashe. “It’s nice to contribute and hopefully inspire students to go on to pursue STEM-related fields ... especially if they eventually come here to work because I know it’s a great place to work.”

Spahr said she couldn’t be prouder of Ashe’s journey and praised her for reinvesting her time into the STEM program that kick-started her initial interest.

“Watching her take a leadership role in STEM outreach and continue the cycle of giving back to the community is beyond exciting,” said Spahr.

SWFLANT’s STEM Team includes more than 40 volunteers who support robotics teams, local events, and 32 schools across three counties. Ashe encourages other students to pursue internship opportunities at SWFLANT, even if the technical environment seems daunting at first.

“It can be overwhelming at first because of all of the information and technical knowledge you’re learning,” said Ashe. “But working here has surpassed my expectations. This mission is important, and the people and the culture make it a great place to work. It’s meaningful to have a role in contributing to the overall mission here at SWFLANT.”

While Ashe is set to graduate in 2028, she’s already thinking beyond her current internship.

“Once my internship ends, I hope to continue to support the mission in a full-time capacity, while potentially attending graduate school,” said Ashe.

SWFLANT is one of two sites responsible for the Navy’s strategic assets. Its mission is to deliver safe, secure and effective sea-based strategic deterrence to Ohio-class ballistic missile submarines. The command also supports the reconfigured guided missile submarines, which carry Tomahawk cruise missiles.

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