Throughout the three-week journey, Babagana and different members of the staff visited 12 schools and excessive colleges throughout 9 cities in Tennessee, Mississippi, and Alabama.
Initiated in February 2021, the JODO program “brings profitable naval officers from numerous backgrounds and cultures out of the fleet for a short while, and locations them face-to-face with college students and group leaders across the nation in an effort to indicate what is feasible to attain by naval service.” As one of many chosen JODO representatives, Babagana’s position on the journey was to share his distinctive journey of how he turned a naval officer to college students, mother and father, and academics.
“I shared tales of how I overcame numerous limitations and hurdles whereas navigating my schooling and scientific coaching,” stated Babagana. “I additionally offered common consciousness of profession alternatives out there to college students traditionally underrepresented in these fields.”
Though each faculty go to was distinctive, Babagana reported that every day would usually begin off with formal shows. “For universities, it was frequent to arrange within the atrium after [the formal presentations] to attach with college students in small teams or one-on-one all through the day. Throughout highschool visits we usually offered to courses as they rotated by their durations and stayed after faculty generally for casual interactions. Evenings consisted of networking or group occasions.”
“Simply figuring out that I used to be in a position to join with a couple of college students and seeing the impression of these interactions emphasised the significance of [the JODO program’s] efforts, and supplies an impetus to help additional outreach efforts,” Babagana stated.
He described “seeing a scholar, who had an identical ethnic background as one of many presenters, method that presenter and exclaim how seeing him in his Navy management position gave the coed the braveness and confidence to additionally pursue such a profession path.” Babagana additionally valued the possibility to talk with extraordinarily shiny college students about careers within the army that they by no means thought of or knew had been out there. “Attracting these shiny minds might be key to remaining probably the most revolutionary and succesful army on the earth,” he stated.
Whereas the JODO program is designed to assist recruit racial and ethnic minorities into army service, Babagana reported receiving advantages from the expertise as a JODO consultant. “By interacting with the varied Navy instructions and communities collaborating in these outreach efforts, I used to be in a position to be taught and expertise firsthand the Navy’s multifaceted method to enhancing variety all through the enlisted and officer ranks.”
When requested what recommendation Babagana would give to racial and ethnic minorities fascinated with becoming a member of the Navy, he stated, “I’d advise anybody seeking to pursue a particular profession path to discover a mentor that may assist information them alongside. Every profession path is exclusive and it may be straightforward for people to make frequent and, many instances, avoidable errors. Mentors may also help on this effort.” On his choice as a JODO consultant, Babagana stated, “I used to be honored to be part of the junior officers chosen to be the face of the Navy and to take part in scholar outreach, group occasions, and group service efforts.” He plans to proceed together with his analysis applications whereas pursuing further mentorship roles.
NSMRL, a command beneath the Navy Bureau of Drugs and Surgical procedure, is situated on the Naval Submarine Base New London. NSMRL delivers analysis options to advertise the well being, welfare, and efficiency of submariners and divers, with the mission to maintain the readiness and superiority of our undersea warriors by revolutionary well being and efficiency analysis.
