by
Rick Burke, Navy Office of Community Outreach Public Affairs
PENSACOLA,
Fla. – A 2008 Sparta High School, Sparta, New Jersey, graduate and Syracuse, New
York, native was selected as the 2017 junior enlisted Military Instructor of
the Year (IOY) for Naval Education and Training Command (NETC) at a ceremony
onboard Naval Air Station Pensacola at the National Naval Aviation Museum Dec.
14.
Intelligence
Specialist Petty Officer 2nd Class Nijah Lee is an intelligence specialist “A”
school and operational intelligence “C” school instructor at Information
Warfare Training Command (IWTC) Virginia Beach, Virginia. Lee teaches both new
and experienced Sailors how to properly handle classified materials and sensitive
documents.
Lee
is qualified as a Master Training Specialist, which is a designation for demonstrating highly effective teaching skills
and a comprehensive understanding of schoolhouse management, as well as for
taking a leadership role in mentoring, instructing and evaluating instructors
and curriculum.
Rear
Adm. Kyle Cozad, NETC commander, congratulated all the finalists in each IOY
category for their roles in shaping the Navy's future force and for their
contributions to the training and education mission.
"You
represent the best of the very best throughout the domain," said Cozad.
"Each one of you here today has a common theme: a hard work ethic, a drive
to be a better leader, and teamwork. Each and every one of you is a competitor,
and that competitive edge is the thing that makes our Navy better than the
other navies today."
Teaching
at IWTC for her second year, Whitefield stressed the importance of a relaxed
and professional learning environment to encourage questions and ultimately a
better understanding of the Sailor’s career field.
“By
displaying patience and professionalism, I am able to provide a comfortable
learning environment where questions are strongly encouraged and knowledge is
always the end result,” said Lee. “I
always challenge my students to be the best version of themselves, motivate
them to push themselves past their expectations. Something that I have learned in my short
time in the Navy is to never base your success off other people and always
strive to learn something new every day.”
Lee
said she holds herself to high standards and welcomes challenges.
“I
have always been an innovator, but now I am able to say that I am also an
effective leader,” said Lee. “I was
eagerly anticipating the challenges I would meet upon arriving to a training command,
and I have stepped up to the challenge and even surpassed some of the goals I
set for myself.”
Out
of approximately 8,000 instructors within NETC, Lee was one of two finalists
who competed for the NETC junior enlisted IOY. She received a Navy and Marine
Corps Commendation Medal for her achievements.
The
IOY recognition ceremony concluded a week of activities in Pensacola honoring
the nominated candidates.
“Seeing
the professionalism and dedication of all these outstanding Sailor of the Year
finalists only validates the phrase ‘Fleet Readiness Starts Here,’” said NETC
Force Master Chief Karim Cole during the ceremony. “I am confident that we have the right people
in place to train, guide and get our Sailors ready to man the fleet.”
Lee
is pursuing a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice and plans to continue
serving in the Navy.
“I
would love to use the things that I have learned from becoming a Master
Training Specialist and as an instructor to come back as a chief petty officer
and have a major role in revamping the Learning and Development Roadmap for intelligence
specialist,” said Lee. The online roadmap provides guidance to Sailors along a
learning and development continuum, covering virtually every aspect of the
Navy's enlisted work force and what each Sailor needs to succeed at specific
points in their career.
“Another
long-term goal of mine is to be a member of the Advancement Exam Readiness
Review board, developing test questions for advancement exams,” said Lee.
The NETC IOY program
recognize Sailors throughout the NETC domain who exhibit sustained superior
performance, leadership, mentorship, knowledge and teaching of military history
and heritage, self-improvement, command and community involvement, and
exemplary military bearing.
NETC
is the largest shore command in the Navy and is comprised of more than 12,000
military and staff personnel at more than 230 subordinate activities and
detachments in the United States and at remote sites overseas. NETC provides
training and education to more than 31,000 students on any given day.
- - Naval Education and Training Command Public
Affairs
For
additional information on the Naval Education and Training Command, visit the
NETC website: https://www.netc.navy.mil or
http://www.navy.mil/local/cnet/. Follow
us on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/netcpao and Twitter @netcpao.