 With the available able-bodied young men being called upon to serve in the armed forces, the navy leadership needed to be creative in their approach to meeting the demanding schedules involved in upgrading the fleet with modern weapon and defensive systems.This led to opportunities for non-traditional members of the work force, and many women were ready and willing to answer the call.Stern started work in the naval shipyard’s engineering department on June 7, 1943, assigned to the weights and stability section of the hull department.