Homegrown talent is coming back with purpose. 

Justin Cruz, the newest fellow under UOG’s Navigating Home program, has returned to Guam with a mission, solving island challenges through innovation at the G3 Makerspace.

Born and raised on Guam, Cruz left to train in robotics and CNC machining in California, but says bringing that knowledge home was always the goal. “If the best of us keep leaving the island, we’ll never be able to solve our own problems,” he said.

Through the NSF-funded Navigating Home Early-Career Fellowship, Cruz is turning waste into opportunity, prototyping desks and stools from recycled plastics at Guam’s only CNC-equipped facility.

UOG, in partnership with the NSF SEAS Islands Alliance, hopes Cruz is just the beginning. The program aims to combat brain drain by recruiting skilled CHamorus back to Guam, one way ticket included.

Applications for short-term fellowships are now open. Interested STEM professionals can contact UOG Sea Grant to learn more.