Photo By Chief Petty Officer Diana Quinlan | 220509-N-WF272-1742 PHILADELPHIA (May 9, 2022) U.S. Navy Fire Controlman 3rd Class...... read more read more
PHILADELPHIA – America’s Navy and Navy Recruiting Command's Diversity and Outreach Team held Navy Promotional Days (NPD) Philadelphia, May 9 – 14, as part of the Navy’s national search for the best and brightest students who have what it takes to excel in high-demand, cutting-edge fields.
Through the weeklong visit to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Navy Recruiting Command officers, officers from various fleet commands, and Sailors assigned to Navy Talent Acquisition Group Philadelphia, together comprising the NPD team, visited local high schools to build and sustain communication networks and promote Navy awareness within under-represented communities while building a pool of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) talent and showcasing opportunities for both military and civilian careers.
As part of the visits to the schools, officers and enlisted Sailors spoke on a variety of topics in classroom presentations including education, minority scholarships, and benefits offered by the Navy. The NPDs also featured an immersive virtual reality experience housed in a massive 18-wheeler truck named “the Nimitz,” which allows participants to experience a virtual reality Navy SEAL mission, piloting a high-speed special warfare combatant craft (SWCC).
“I'm very happy that the [Navy’s] diversity team is here, because students need to know that there are multiple avenues they can take after high school, and to give students, who might not be having the best high school experience, hope that there's something out there for them,” said Antonios Pitsakis, assistant principal at George Washington High School. “There's always something out there for you, especially in organizations like the Navy, where there are a lot of specializations you can have: you can work engineering, nuclear science, even video gaming - the potential is limitless.”
George Washington High School was also one of the schools that housed the Nimitz asset activation.
“I think, anytime that you can provide an opportunity for students to experience something first-hand, gives them a better understanding in making decisions for their future,” added Pitsakis. “This opportunity for students to have a virtual experience gives them a better idea as to what it may be like to go on a mission with the Navy, teach them about the service and what it stands for.”
The team visited Abraham Lincoln, George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, Overbrook, and John Bartram high schools, where more than 470 Philadelphia high school students had the opportunity to experience the virtual reality asset, speak with the Navy representatives, ask questions, and share their aspirations for the future.
“Our team is not designed for recruiting, but to show presence, raise awareness, and support and improve the diversity around the military,” shared Lt. Anel Tavira, a native of Gainesville, Ga., a program manager assigned to NRC’s Office of Outreach and Diversity. “We try to visit as many high schools, universities, colleges, youth groups as possible, and do local community services as representatives of diversity in the Navy. We want the students to see that people that look just like them, or came from similar backgrounds, can be something more, can do something greater. We want to let them know that they can be somebody regardless of the circumstances they grow up in, and share the opportunities and experiences we had. So that's why I think it's really important for them to see that they can get a scholarship, receive higher education, and have a successful career.”
Local recruiter and a Philadelphia native, Logistics Specialist 2nd Class Demitrius Lewis, assigned to NTAG Philadelphia, echoed Tavira’s statement.
“Visits from the diversity team give the students a different perspective from what they may have seen from local Sailors visiting schools,” said Lewis. “Students are used to us coming to their school, but having somebody from another region, from the Fleet share their experiences and also talk about a number of opportunities that they had, gives students more tools to build their future. And they feel empowered when they have that information.”
On the final day of NPD Philadelphia the team attended the Valorant $5K LAN Tournament held at Localhost Philadelphia, hosted by the Navy’s Esports team “Goats & Glory.” More than 150 local colleges, universities and high schools students participated in the tournament, competing for the grand prize of $5,000 in the first-person hero shooter game, “Valorant.”
Members of Goats & Glory competed in the friendly skirmishes, and live-streamed the event on the America’s Navy Twitch channel. Team members also answered questions from tournament viewers and participants, and even challenged them to some physical exercises such as timed planks and pushups.
Goats & Glory is dedicated to outreach and engagement with members of the gaming community, showcasing life and opportunities available in the Navy.
NTAG Philadelphia encompasses regions of Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland and West Virginia, providing recruiting services from more than 30 talent acquisition sites.
Navy Recruiting Command consists of a command headquarters, three Navy Recruiting Regions and 26 Navy Talent Acquisition Groups that serve more than 1,000 recruiting stations across the world. Their combined goal is to attract the highest quality candidates to assure the ongoing success of America’s Navy. For more news from Commander, Navy Recruiting Command, go to http://www.cnrc.navy.mil. Follow Navy Recruiting on Facebook (www.facebook.com/MyNAVYHR), Twitter (@USNRecruiter) and Instagram (@USNRecruiter).
With more than 330,000 active duty sailors, 290 deployable ships, more than 3,700 aircraft and dozens of bases in the U.S. and across the globe, America's Navy is the largest, most powerful naval force in the world. The opportunities available in today's Navy are as boundless as the sea itself. To learn more about the opportunities in the Navy visit www.navy.com
| Date Taken: | 05.14.2022 |
| Date Posted: | 05.15.2022 13:31 |
| Story ID: | 420763 |
| Location: | PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, US |
| Hometown: | GAINESVILLE, GEORGIA, US |
| Hometown: | PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, US |
| Web Views: | 148 |
| Downloads: | 1 |
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