The crew of the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson, which is homeported at Naval Air Station North Island, welcomed more than 450 students and 50 educators aboard the ship’s transit from its homeport of San Diego to Los Angeles to participate in Fleet Week.
The embarkation presented a unique learning opportunity for the guests, offering them a chance to interact with the sailors and observe the U.S. Navy’s maritime operations.
“It gives the kids a chance to see what the Navy does and what it has to offer,” said Don Urquidez, the senior naval science instructor at Hawthorne High School in Hawthorne. “The sailors have been talking to the kids so they can understand what their job is on the ship and how they integrate into the mission.”
Students observed daily shipboard evolutions such as flight operations, firefighting drills and weapons displays.Â
“It was pretty interesting and eye-opening because I had no idea about any of this before,” said Rachael Pellegrini, a student at Canoga High School in Canoga Park. “I get stressed out thinking about college so this seems like a pretty good option for me if I want to take a different path, and I know that basically anything I want to do, I could do here.”
