Navy Recruiting District (NRD) San Antonio and the Navy's Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) Tour participated in the city's annual Hispanic Chamber of Commerce's CORE4 STEM Expo held at the Freeman Expo Hall, Nov. 17-18.

The conference, consisting an all-female day and all-male day, featured leaders from the energy, science, computer, and aerospace industries, and presented students with the opportunity to meet with high-profile representatives from Fortune 500 companies and governmental agencies.

Students experienced hands-on and demonstration projects, listened to speakers from exciting STEM fields, and spoke with Navy recruiters to discuss degree plans in interested fields and financial aid options.

According to Chief Electronics Technician Philip Castellano, NRD's STEM coordinator, the Navy participated in the annual expo to bring awareness of STEM career opportunities and to pique the interest of students in attaining a STEM-focused career.

This year, the Navy's STEM Tour was showcased at the expo and included Navy Robotics, a virtual reality Deep Sea Challenge, a laparoscopic surgery demo, and the BrainSTEM Challenge game.

"This is the first time the Navy had the STEM Tour at the expo," said Castellano. "It was great for the students to be able to interact with the various activities which comprised the tour".

Although the Navy's recruiting market ranges from the ages of 17-24 years old, there is a need to spread Navy Awareness to students as early as age 12, said Castellano.

According to Aviation Structural Mechanic 2nd Class Michael Vieyra, NRD's Leads Support Team assistant, these interactive experiences allowed the students to virtually engage with undersea technologies and STEM-related opportunities.

"It's great that we were able to have the tour at the expo," said Vieyra, a native San Antonioian. "It assists in gaining and maintaining their interests in STEM fields."

According to LeRoy Cavazos, vice president of Government Affairs with the San Antonio Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, the sole purpose of the expo was to expose the students to different STEM careers and STEM education opportunities.

"Attending events such as the CORE4 STEM Expo is critical to students entering STEM careers," said Cavazos. "I think that one of the critical options in a student's career pathway, when cultivating American society and young minds, is that of serving our country; being public servants and stewards of what America stands for."

For more news from Commander, Navy Recruiting Command, visit http://www.navy.mil/.