Asher Kone’s high school summers on a commercial fishing boat in Alaska were formative. Raised mainly in Honolulu, with time spent in Alaska, Washington, and Greece, those months clarified his passion for the water. “I love surfing and being on the water,” Kone said. “And I realized that’s really what I want to do with my life.”
Choosing a college, naval architecture was a natural path, leading him to U-M’s Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering (NAME) program, a top choice in the field. The transition from Hawaii to Ann Arbor was challenging, particularly with out-of-state costs. Financial aid and scholarships made U-M accessible.
Despite the drastic change in climate, Kone found value in the experience. “U-M has been a great opportunity to expand my horizons, go somewhere new, be in a different flow of life, and see new perspectives,” he said.
Kone’s résumé includes global internships from Pearl Harbor to the North Sea. He played a crucial role in the Quarterdeck Society, organizing company visits to connect students with recruiters. He also co-founded Wolverine Offshore Wind for the Collegiate Wind Competition and worked in the Marine Structures Design Lab.
His varied internships included working with a defense contractor in Alabama and at Pacific Shipyards International in Hawaii. Last summer, he worked on marine salvage in Louisiana and England, managing offshore wind turbine projects. “It was an interesting experience,” he said, “and highly stressful!”
Outside academics, Kone enjoys cooking meals influenced by his diverse living experiences, from Hawaii to Greece. Post-graduation, he plans to stay at U-M for a two-year graduate program in naval architecture, funded by maritime industry partners. Kone appreciates the tight-knit community within the NAME department. “Despite being part of a large university, naval architecture feels more like a small, tight-knit community,” he said. “I could walk into a professor’s office, and they’d be happy to help me.”
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