Naval Air Station (NAS) Oceana is proud to recognize the success of Tanner Strickland, a 2024 graduate of the installation’s Project SEARCH program recently received Brookwood Elementary School’s Employee of the Year award May 8, 2025.

Strickland achieved his goal to work in the school system through the Project SEARCH program—an innovative organization that helps young adults with developmental disabilities gain hands-on job experience to help transition into competitive employment. Strickland now works in Brookwood Elementary's cafeteria.

NAS Oceana Commanding Officer Capt. Josh Appezzato, Executive Officer Capt. Rob Littman, and other members of NAS Oceana and Virginia Beach City Public Schools attended the award ceremony to celebrate Strickland’s accomplishment.

“Tanner walked up to me at the orientation for last year’s program as one of our interns, and I knew he would do exceptionally well,” said Appezzato. “This is exactly why we believe so strongly in Project SEARCH. Tanner’s story is just one example of how when you invest in people, amazing things happen.”

During the ceremony, Strickland shared a few words of encouragement and thanked Brookwood Elementary students and faculty for making him feel welcomed.

“I do it for all of you,” Strickland said. “Not just for the first graders, second graders or the third graders. I do it all for you in this whole entire school…thank you.”

Since starting the program in Sept. 2021, Project SEARCH interns have completed 72 internships across 16 businesses at NAS Oceana. Collectively, they worked over 15,620 hours, gaining employability and independent living skills.

To date, 23 Project SEARCH graduates have found long-term employment upon completion of the program at NAS Oceana.

At the end of the yearlong program, NAS Oceana hosts a graduation ceremony for Project SEARCH graduates. This year’s graduation ceremony is scheduled for June 2025. Additional details about this year’s graduation will be shared closer to the event date.