HII Celebrates 2023 Graduates of The Newport News Shipbuilding Apprentice School

NEWPORT NEWS, Va., March 23, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- HII (NYSE: HII) hosted commencement exercises today, celebrating 133 graduates of the company’s Newport News Shipbuilding Apprentice School. The ceremony was held at Liberty Live Church in Hampton with U.S. Rep. Bobby Scott, D-Va., NNS leadership, and local shipbuilding supporters, alongside family and friends of the graduates.

Thomasina Wright, NNS vice president of fleet support programs, and a 1986 graduate of The Apprentice School, delivered the keynote commencement address.

“Newport News Shipbuilding is the best place to be to support our national defense and become a leader,” Wright said. “Graduates, please focus on continuous learning, setting goals and priorities, and giving back to your community."

NNS President Jennifer Boykin addressed the graduates as the shipyard’s newest leaders.

“You were chosen to complete a truly rigorous program — and you succeeded,” Boykin said. “Hold your head high, and consider your impact on those around you. Our future is brighter with you in it.”

Photos accompanying this release are available at: https://hii.com/news/hii-newport-news-shipbuilding-apprentice-school-g ....

The Newport News Shipbuilding Apprentice School has been accredited since 1982. Students can earn academic degrees through its partnerships with institutions of higher education. Certification to grant associate degrees and confer degrees on its own came in July 2020, after the school was approved by the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia to operate as a postsecondary institution.

This year’s commencement exercises marked the first time the school has conferred an associate’s degree in the field of applied science maritime technology. Adam Ryan West, a welding equipment repairer, is the first to earn the degree, which became an option at the same time he was accepted to the school.

West initially chose welding equipment repair for his apprenticeship, but through his shipyard work and classroom study, he was able to expand his scope of skills to earn the degree.

“There is a satisfaction in fixing something that wasn’t working,” West shared. “It is an honor to be the first to earn this degree from The Apprentice School and I am thankful I get to apply what I learned every day while working in the shipyard.”