US Navy introduces West Mesa students to STEM careers through virtual reality experience

Imagine piloting an F-35C Lightning II jet.

Now imagine doing that from the parking lot of West Mesa High School in Albuquerque.

As part of the Strike Group Mixed-Reality Experience, students immersed themselves in simulated scenarios seen in the U.S. Navy. Through three challenges, participants saw the breadth of the military branch’s STEM careers.

“A STEM career in the Navy provides a life-changing experience filled with adventure, teamwork, and support, and the ‘Strike Group’ brings all these aspects to life in the most realistic ways possible,” Navy Rear Adm. James P. Waters said in a statement.

The “Strike Group” is named after the Navy’s forward deployment groups that are permanently stationed overseas to enable rapid crisis response. Known as the Carrier Strike Group, it comprises roughly 7,500 personnel.

Navy Chief Petty Officer Jarret Gutierrez said the branch began the program in late 2024 in an effort to really showcase “what the Navy is like” to potential recruits.

Enlisting in the military has long been a path for emerging high school graduates. And the Navy offers a variety of STEM careers — more than any other branch — that allow members to build skills and have broader opportunities once discharged.

“Doing this and bringing these out to a lot of these high schools gives (us) more of an engagement with these students,” Gutierrez said. “It actually gives hands-on training of what you would actually do in the Navy.”

The program is made up of three scenarios: “All Hands,” where participants don a Meta Quest 3 headset to use their skills on an aircraft carrier flight deck; “Train,” putting students through a series of Navy SEAL physical challenges, like pushups and rope pulls; and “Seek,” dropping players in an immersive submarine mission utilizing nuclear propulsion, sonar and navigation.

Gutierrez said the program, which is completely mobile, had been to Albuquerque once before during Navy Week in 2024. Recruiters also stopped at Cibola High School this month.

“From fall 2024, all over the U.S., they had about 450,000 participants come just to see this, so it actually helps with recruiting, too,” Gutierrez said. “We always get juniors coming in saying, ‘Hey, I want to learn about the Navy,’ (or) seniors saying, ‘Hey, I saw you guys out in the parking lot of my high school, what are some opportunities when I graduate?’”

West Mesa students Erick Trujillo, a senior, and Arianna Ware, a junior, exited the trailer containing the “Seek” submarine mission with excitement. On a team of four, Ware was responsible for nuclear propulsion, ensuring the vessel’s power level was stable, while Trujillo piloted its direction.

But Trujillo and Ware said their favorite program was the “All Hands” virtual reality experience. They added that the simulations gave them in-depth perspectives of Navy life.

Ware, a member of West Mesa’s Navy Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps, said her grandparents’ prior service led her to want to join the military at some point. She said she is looking to join either the Navy or Coast Guard, and also expressed an interest in mechanics.

Trujillo, the public affairs officer for the school’s NJROTC, said he’s wanted to join the military since he was a little kid. His favorite part of the program is the “sport of marksmanship or community service,” he said.

After each simulation, students received colorful patches marking their completion: “All Hands,” “Train,” “Seek,” and finally, a commemorative “Forged By The Sea.”

Growing up, Trujillo was interested in the U.S. Marines, but these days, the Navy is looking more appealing.

“A lot of students right now, you go to schools, they don’t really have a career (path) built for them. So this is like a stepping stone,” Gutierrez said. “I always tell seniors, ‘Look, the military’s not forever. Do your time, travel, see the world, and come back.’”

Hannah García covers tech and energy for the Journal. You can reach her at hgarcia@abqjournal.com.