Seeking top students for STEM careers and $180,000 ROTC Scholarship
Submitted by Ken Woodmansee
Navy Outreach and Diversity leaders will visit G. Holmes Braddock High School on Tuesday, January 24 and Coral Glades High School on Thursday, January 26 in search of high-ability students who have what it takes to excel in high-demand STEM fields, such as nuclear engineering, cryptology, IT, and health care. The Navy also will share information about its $180,000 ROTC Scholarship Program, which pays full college tuition for students with exceptional academic and leadership credentials. The main attraction will be the Nimitz, a mobile, state-of the-art virtual reality experience that simulates an actual high-speed SEAL mission. Video preview of the Nimitz.
“We are extremely excited to spend time in South Florida, meeting with exceptional high school students and faculty, and discussing the great opportunities available in the Navy,” says LCDR Claudia Alday, with Navy Diversity and Outreach. “It is important for today’s students to understand that a Navy STEM career offers an exceptional future.”
In addition to the events at G. Holmes Braddock and Coral Glades high schools, the Nimitz Virtual Reality Experience also will be featured at the Coral Gables Art Festival on Saturday and Sunday, January 28-29. Please see details below.
The Nimitz Virtual Reality Experience
So, what exactly happens inside the mobile, 18-wheeler, Nimitz Virtual Reality Experience? Participants go through a video briefing before strapping on an Oculus Rift headset and a piece of wearable technology called a SubPac (traditionally used by Club DJs) that percusses in real time to the sounds of the mission. Participants navigate the mission using a cutting-edge steering wheel and throttle system that replicate the actual sensation of piloting a high-speed Navy SWCC boat while extracting SEALs. Once finished, participants move to the debriefing station, where they receive feedback and a performance grade.
