Cavan Cox has become a disciplined team player in the pool. As a recipient of the SMART Scholarship, he’ll bring those traits into work with the Department of War.
Water polo is considered one of the toughest sports in the world.
Players not only have to tread water for 30 minutes, but they practically have to wrestle for control of the ball and channel even more energy if they gain possession.
Yet knowing all this, fourth-year student Cavan Cox still sought out this challenge as a member of the Texas Tech University Water Polo Club.
“It’s a lot of discipline,” Cavan explained, “especially the fact that it’s a team sport. If one person starts not doing what the team wants to do, it could throw the entire rhythm off.”
Cavan is used to these high stakes as the former team captain of his high school varsity water polo team at Granite Hills High School in El Cajon, California. Now a chemical engineering major, the grueling nature of the game serves as a break from advanced math equations and complex scientific projects.
These skillsets combined with his ability to perform under pressure have served him well during three summer internships at the Fleet Readiness Center Southwest in San Diego. Cavan was placed alongside the center’s top scientists and engineers in the materials lab as he completed real naval research not far from home.
“I basically made sure that everything was running smooth for the different levels of the military,” he described of the classified work. “Different bases in other parts of the country or the world could be relying on the knowledge.”
Cavan will take on even more responsibility at the Fleet Readiness Center after his graduation this May. He has a full-time position waiting for him there as one of many perks of the Science, Mathematics, and Research for Transformation (SMART) Scholarship from the Department of War (DoW) he received last spring.
The transition will have the athlete not just keeping himself up and ready for action, but a military fleet.
“I was really excited because I knew that was something I wasn’t going to have to worry about next year,” he shared, “instead of applying to hundreds or thousands of jobs – hoping that I get an interview or two and eventually get accepted.”
Cavan admits becoming a SMART Scholarship recipient wasn’t easy. It took him two rounds of applications, but he is well-trained in endurance.
Just as he reviews his performance after a water polo game to see how he can improve, Cavan analyzed his application to determine how to make himself a stronger candidate. He made sure his resume was bolstered not only by several years of the naval research enterprise internship but through his engagement with student organizations, Tau Beta Pi honor society and extracurricular activities in the Edward E. Whitacre Jr. College of Engineering.
During his involvement with the American Institute of Chemical Engineers’ Chem-E-Car Competition, Cavan was able to design the underlying framework for Texas Tech’s Chem-E-Car – a chemically powered vehicle around the size of a shoebox that must safely travel a specified distance and stop.
“There’s a lot of other parts about college other than just the classroom,” he explained. “All these clubs and organizations just want somebody who’s willing to learn and understand what they’re trying to do. Those different aspects can help you as you’re trying to build a resume and make connections that could help you in the long run.”
Even though Cavan knew his second application was stronger, he still had a nagging feeling he would not be selected for the SMART Scholarship. He noted the exact day and time the DoW would announce whether he was selected for the award.
Unfortunately, that email would arrive in the middle of his polymerizations class. Cavan paid attention as best as possible and was taking notes when his phone lit up with the subsequent notification – the first word being “Congratulations.”
Cavan’s excitement built quickly as he realized he was among only 8% of applicants to receive the award that will cover his last year of tuition among much more. He loaded up his backpack and promptly exited class to call his mom, barely concealing the smile on his face as he passed his classmates.
As soon as she answered, Cavan blurted, “Mom, I got it!” But instead of the congratulations he expected, Cavan was met with a confused slur of “Is everything OK?” It was only 6:30 a.m. in California.
Once the anxiety subsided, a long-distance celebration commenced between mother and son.
“My parents were both proud because I worked really hard in high school, became valedictorian and got the opportunity to pretty much study whatever I wanted to,” he said. “The fact that I found something that I really enjoy, they’re glad about that.”
His next announcement was to his teammates during water polo practice at the Robert H. Ewalt Student Recreation Center. Club Vice President Sam Flesch knew Cavan had a difficult major but further understood how he managed to excel through challenges.
There was room for improvement going into the 2024-25 water polo club season, but Cavan never gave up. By staying positive, encouraging his teammates and remaining committed, they not only began to win but kept winning.
“I could easily see by the hard work he puts into water polo that he would also put that into school,” Flesch said. “He is one of the first people to show up to practice. He always warms up and prepares better than most of the other players there.”
Training at Texas Tech
Practice makes perfect to Cavan, which was his draw to attend Texas Tech. He not only betters himself at least four times a week alongside his water polo teammates, but also among researchers through unique laboratory work he completes as an undergraduate.
These hands-on experiences with an assortment of machinery that is standard within his industry have reaffirmed that Cavan chose the right profession.
“I really enjoy research because one group could be looking at it through lens A, and the other group through lens B, and they could come to drastically different conclusions, seemingly, but still have the same general idea,” Cavan notes. “Sometimes their methodologies or ideas behind what they’re doing are headbutting, but looking at the same research from different viewpoints can still lead to the same outcome – even if that’s not what’s expected.”
In water polo, players who are on the bench have the advantage of a full-picture view of the pool and can gain a broad perspective their teammates may be missing.
The same is true for research, as Cavan learned during his favorite courses in engineering experimentation taught by Jeremy Marston, associate professor of chemical engineering. Marston made sure to relay nuanced aspects of statistics and how those can be abused by people with an agenda.
“Statistics can mask important details, and I try to stress that it is important to show full quantitative results (within reason),” Marston said. “Hopefully, these lessons will help students delve more deeply into the numbers to find important information that might otherwise be overlooked.”
These lessons have Cavan positioned as a defensive guru both in and out of the pool as he approaches his graduation this May. He recognizes that Texas Tech has coached him to become stronger both physically and mentally, enabling him to bring improvements to the DoW and other team settings.
He is thankful the SMART Scholarship allots him the security to look forward with certainty as he soaks in his last year as a student and makes a splash during his final tournament season this fall.
“The fact that I already know everybody at Fleet Readiness Center and how they do everything basically gives me a head start into my career,” he said. “A lot of what the first six months to a year into your job is just learning what they actually do – but I understand my mission and goal.”