By Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class (SW/AW) Davis Anderson, Navy Office of Community Outreach Public Affairs
EL PASO, Texas (NNS) -- Commander, Operational Test and Evaluation Force, Rear Adm. David A. Dunaway returned to his alma mater, Burges High School in El Paso, Texas Oct. 21 during El Paso Navy Week 2011.
The visit included a tour of the school, given by Principal Randall Woods who along with the rest of the faculty and students at Burges were very excited to host the admiral.
"It was wonderful to have the admiral back," said Woods. "I got to meet him as an assistant principal here (during a previous visit four years ago), so having him come back is just fabulous, and so, wonderful for our kids."
Dunaway spoke after the tour, to the top 30 seniors at Burges, telling them about his experiences at Burges and his subsequent career in the Navy and offering them advice on how to pick colleges and careers.
"It was a lot of fun," said Dunaway. "These are very talented kids. These are the top ten percent. They are very capable and very fun and engaging kids."
When Dunaway spoke to the students he was able to reinforce some of the messages that the community of El Paso and the faculty at Burges are stressing.
"I think it's wonderful that he got to talk to our kids about serving, and that's the Navy's role now," said Woods. "That's something I talk to our kids about. I expect them to serve this community. That's one of the things that I just really love that he talked to them-having him talk about that from the Navy's perspective is wonderful."
Dunaway was also impressed with how the students at Burges carried themselves.
"I thought they were awesome," said Dunaway. "They were very well dressed, very orderly. They make eye contact, shake your hand; it was a real pleasure to see them."
Dunaway's visit provided a tangible example for the students at Burges.
"Really having somebody who walked these halls, walked these neighborhoods come back and say look at how I've done this and what I've done, so that's really important," said Woods. "It's really very good for them to see this; as a principal, wonderful to have a role model to say, 'this is what you can become.' It kind of inspires them."
Another good side-effect of Dunaway's visit was showing a Navy presence in El Paso, where the closest water is the Rio Grande.
"I come from a Navy family, my father was a lieutenant commander, my brother was a captain," said Woods. "I am very, very proud of (Dunaway) being in the Navy. It's wonderful, I love that. We've got El Paso and Navy and that good connection."
Forging new connections with communities like El Paso is the reason behind Navy Weeks. They are an opportunity for the Navy to show what they can do and the essential services they provide for the country and the world.
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