It was a fascination with planes and a desire to serve in the military that spun a dream for a kid from Kinloch, Missouri. In his humble neighborhood, he had watched planes fly in and out of Lambert Airport. The dreams to fly and to serve his country were dreams chased and realized by Captain Richard R. Bryant, USN (retired).
Bryant talks about the days before cable television when the local stations played old World War II movies that inspired him to one day be one of those gallant pilots.
According to Bryant, “My interest in STEM began with a dream, so I’d tell young children to chase your dreams and don’t allow your environment to predict what you’re capable of.”
To realize his dream, a young Richard Bryant set his future in motion. He applied and was accepted to the United States Naval Academy. At the academy, he received classes in the engineering disciplines and settled on Marine Engineering. In addition, he discovered all of the fascinating things that submarine forces do.
He said, “I fell in love and never looked back.”
It was his passion and perseverance that led him to earn a B.S. in Marine Engineering from The United States Naval Academy in 1988, a Masters of Engineering Management from The George Washington University in 1995 and in 2005, earn a M.S. of National Security Affairs from the National War College.
Bryant had a stellar military career as a career nuclear submarine officer; he served aboard four submarines and made multiple overseas deployments in support of U.S. national security objectives. He commanded the nuclear fast attack submarine USS Miami (SSN-755) and served several tours at the Pentagon.
Now retired from the military, Bryant is the assistant to the president at Telecommunication Systems, Inc. in Annapolis, Maryland. He is a husband and father of four children who keep him busy and on the move.
“My children all play instruments and are very competitive at the state level. Two of my sons are wrestlers and at their level, wrestling is a year-round sport,” Bryant said.
“I find my support of them and their activities gives me access to some things that have traditionally been my favorite past times – music and sports. I grew up playing instrumental music and sang in the glee club at the Naval Academy.”
When asked to give parents advice on the importance of a STEM education, Bryant replied, “A good solid foundation in the STEM subjects supports all potential academic career paths. Parents should understand that while their children may believe the hype that STEM is harder, they should change that around. Show them that it is more rewarding, well worth it, and that it can be fun.”
In terms of life lessons for young children, he urged, “Be inspired, find your passion, pursue your dreams, set goals, overcome obstacles, chart your course and never give up.”
