GROTON, Conn. (NNS) Lt. Mahamat Babagana, a research physiologist at Naval Submarine Medical Research Laboratory (NSMRL) and a Junior Officer Diversity Outreach (JODO) representative for the Naval Recruiting Command (NRC) returned from a three-state outreach trip to Minority Serving Institutions (MSIs) throughout the southern U.S. on March 6, 2022.
During the three-week trip, Babagana and other members of the team visited 12 colleges and high schools across nine cities in Tennessee, Mississippi, and Alabama.
Initiated in February 2021, the JODO program “brings successful naval officers from diverse backgrounds and cultures out of the fleet for a short time, and places them face-to-face with students and community leaders around the country in an effort to show what is possible to achieve through naval service.” As one of the selected JODO representatives, Babagana’s role on the trip was to share his unique journey of how he became a naval officer to students, parents, and teachers.
“I shared stories of how I overcame various barriers and hurdles while navigating my education and scientific training,” said Babagana. “I also provided general awareness of career opportunities available to students historically underrepresented in those fields.”
Although every school visit was unique, Babagana reported that each day would typically start off with formal presentations. “For universities, it was common to set up in the atrium after [the formal presentations] to connect with students in small groups or one-on-one throughout the day. During high school visits we typically presented to classes as they rotated through their periods and stayed after school sometimes for informal interactions. Evenings consisted of networking or community events.”
“Just knowing that I was able to connect with a few students and seeing the impact of those interactions emphasized the importance of [the JODO program’s] efforts, and provides an impetus to support further outreach efforts,” Babagana said.
He described “seeing a student, who had a similar ethnic background as one of the presenters, approach that presenter and exclaim how seeing him in his Navy leadership role gave the student the courage and confidence to also pursue such a career path.” Babagana also valued the chance to speak with extremely bright students about careers in the military that they never considered or knew were available. “Attracting these bright minds will be key to remaining the most innovative and capable military in the world,” he said.
While the JODO program is designed to help recruit racial and ethnic minorities into military service, Babagana reported receiving benefits from the experience as a JODO representative. “By interacting with the various Navy commands and communities participating in these outreach efforts, I was able to learn and experience firsthand the Navy’s multifaceted approach to improving diversity throughout the enlisted and officer ranks.”
When asked what advice Babagana would give to racial and ethnic minorities interested in joining the Navy, he said, “I would advise anyone looking to pursue a specific career path to find a mentor that can help guide them along. Each career path is unique and it can be easy for individuals to make common and, many times, avoidable mistakes. Mentors can help in this effort.” On his selection as a JODO representative, Babagana said, “I was honored to be a part of the junior officers chosen to be the face of the Navy and to participate in student outreach, community events, and community service efforts.” He plans to continue with his research programs while pursuing additional mentorship roles.
NSMRL, a command under the Navy Bureau of Medicine and Surgery, is located at the Naval Submarine Base New London. NSMRL delivers research solutions to promote the health, welfare, and performance of submariners and divers, with the mission to sustain the readiness and superiority of our undersea warriors through innovative health and performance research.
| Date Taken: | 04.06.2022 |
| Date Posted: | 04.06.2022 09:36 |
| Story ID: | 417921 |
| Location: | GROTON, CT, US |
| Web Views: | 89 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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