A career in the military comes with ample perks and benefits. The opportunity to further one’s education is at the forefront of this list, as the Navy provides Sailors resources to continue their education, but encourage them to do so.  

The Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS George Washington (CVN 73) held an education and commissioning fair Dec. 6 in the Huntington Hall gym. Representatives from local colleges and universities, along with naval officers, convened to explain the importance of continued education to Sailors and resources available to them to attain their goals.

“Our goal here is to inform not just the junior Sailors, but all Sailors about each of these colleges and what they offer, and also to show the different opportunities for officer programs,” said Chief Warrant Officer 2 Gillian Czarnik, the educational service officer aboard George Washington. “Many Sailors don’t realize that there are programs for people who already have degrees or who want to go to college. We are here to get all of that information out to them.”

A common misconception among Sailors is that they may not be able to balance school with their work schedule.  The education fair serves to dispel these fallacies and advise Sailors on the paths available to pursue a degree while continuing their military career. 

“One thing I frequently hear from Sailors is that they plan on getting out of the Navy to go to school,” said Czarnik. “It is a point of emphasis for us to let them know that they can do both. Especially while they’re in the shipyard, they have the opportunity to pursue their degree while continuing to serve, and to become an officer possibly.”

Along with educational endeavors, Sailors learned about commissioning opportunities. Once a Sailor receives their degree, a multitude of professional doors could open for them. The community of prior enlisted officers known as ‘mustangs’ have first-hand knowledge of both enlisted and officer ranks.

“I think something like this can kind of close that gap [between enlisted Sailors and officers],” said Czarnik. “You have junior Sailors that can talk to officers one-on-one without that workload in front of them. We have a lot of [limited duty officers] and [chief warrant officers], and we’ve been there. I came in the military as an undesignated seaman. I worked my way up, and now I can offer some guidance from my personal experiences.”

Sailors attended the fair for different reasons, but all carried a goal of self-improvement. The school representatives and officers present were able to tailor the information dispersed to fit the personal needs of everyone who attended.

“I’m interested in the officer programs,” said Interior Communications Electrician 3rd Class Summer Huff, a Sailor assigned to George Washington. “[Seaman to Admiral-21] applications open up in January, so I definitely want to learn more and get some mentorship for that today. I’m also getting some information about a few different colleges in the area because I’d like to utilize [tuition assistance].”

For Sailors who have some college under their belt before they joined the military, there are opportunities to further their education or cross over into the officer community.

“I came to the education fair to see the different avenues I can take to further my career,” said Interior Communications Electrician Seaman Sharae Baxter, a Sailor assigned to George Washington. “I already have a bachelor’s degree, so I’m looking into getting my master’s, and also [officer candidate school]. I’d like to hopefully utilize [tuition assistance] while I’m in the Navy. Everyone was very helpful. Any questions I had, they were able to answer. They also gave me a few different resources and websites, so that I can do my own research.” 

Regardless of age, rank, or time in the military, Sailors are continually encouraged to strive for improvement. Pursuing educational opportunities and professional advancement go hand-in-hand with this. For more information about educational and commissioning opportunities, contact Chief Warrant Officer 2 Jillian Czarnik, or attend the next education fair slated for April 2019.

Join the conversation with GW online at www.facebook.com/USSGW and www.twitter.com/GW_CVN73. For more news from USS George Washington, visit www.navy.mil/.

Get more information about the Navy from US Navy facebook or twitter.