NORFOLK, Va. — Petty Officer 2nd Class Immanuel Mitchell, a native of Clinton, serves aboard USS Cole , a U.S. Navy warship operating out of Norfolk, Virginia.

Mitchell graduated from Lakewood High School in 2018. Additionally, Mitchell earned bachelor’s degrees in sociology and criminal justice from the University of North Carolina at Pembroke in 2021.

The skills and values needed to succeed in the Navy are similar to those found in Clinton.

“Growing up, I was taught to work hard and over time people will see you’re different and special,” Mitchell said. “Grind in silence because people are always watching, no matter what.”

Mitchell joined the Navy three years ago. Today, Mitchell serves as a gas turbine system technician (electrical).

“I joined the Navy because I wanted to create

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