From Belief to Success

Third year Under Water Vehicles program student, Owen Thorne says having a vision for the future started early with key mentors playing a role in his path to success. Now, he is celebrating a coveted Marine Technology Society ROV scholarship win

Monday, August 3, 2026 By Jodi Cooke

Not everyone knows what they want to be when they grow up. Owen Thorne may be the outlier. Throughout his time at Bay View High School in Halifax, Owen demonstrated strong commitment to academic excellence, consistently earning high honours for his achievements. Something started early for him, and Owen credits his family for igniting that drive and focus.

“I am from Tantallon, Nova Scotia. My mentors growing up have always been my parents, John and Tamara as they have always supported me in my journey,” said Thorne. Now, he and his family are celebrating years of hard work and digging deep. Owen is one of 13 international recipients of the coveted MTS ROV Committee Scholarship, a five-thousand-dollar boost towards his studies, and his future.

“This Scholarship will relieve some of the financial barriers associated with higher education. for example, it will cut down on the amount of overtime hours I will have to work which will let me focus on my studies.”

Time Flies When You’re Flying

Owen is one of many students who saw The Fisheries and Marine Institute, Memorial University, as a gateway to his future. Students can exit with a 2-year technician diploma or complete a 3-year Diploma of Technology paired with a Bachelor of Technology degree.

Terry Humber, MI Instructor, has seen first-hand how valuable the program is to industry, with an incredible success rate for employment. “The Underwater Vehicles Program offers students the ability to leave with 100 hours flying time on the stick,” said Humber. “They know how to fix an ROV, they know how to work in that environment.”

Owen Thorne also credits MI with his success in industry, already in his work term with Subsea7. With his term scheduled to wrap up late summer, Thorne is thinking far ahead of 2026. “In 5 years, I would love to still be working in the ROV Industry especially in some sort of leadership or supervising role.”

Industry Transition with Ease

While Owen credits his family for their encouragement along the way, he also credits a member of his academic family at MI. “My biggest mentor in the ROV industry & field is Terry Humber who was my ROV instructor at the Marine Institute,” said Thorne. “MI has giving me amazing support for my transition into the industry. From the highly knowledgeable Instructors to the well-versed support staff, I feel I have received valuable real-world experience in hand on and theoretical applications.”

Owen Thorne shares his MTS ROV Committee Scholarship with two other recipients in their international fields, Lydia Thompson & Makenna Reilly.

Learn More about the Underwater Vehicles Program here