By the time most people figure out what they want to do with their lives, Chad Behal had already built a frog dissection lab in augmented reality.
He didn’t have his degree yet. He didn’t have a formal job title. But he did have curiosity, persistence—and a headset.
“I told the CEO, ‘I’m willing to give 200% effort if you give me a shot,’” Behal said. “He gave me an IQ test, and I guess I did well enough because they brought me on.”
That company was VictoryXR, a national leader in virtual reality education. It was an internship and led to his first job in the field after completing the Augmented and Virtual Reality (AVR) (now called Game and Simulation Development) program at Eastern Iowa Community Colleges (EICC). The job opened a door— he sprinted through it.
Now, just three years after graduating from EICC, Behal works at Sigma Defense, building virtual simulations for the U.S. Navy. He designs VR tools to train sailors to run pump systems and consoles before they ever step on a ship, replacing dense 78-page manuals with interactive learning.
“If Pump 2A fails, what do they do? Before, they were flipping through a book,” Behal said. “Now, they can experience that failure in VR and respond in real time. That’s the goal.”
It’s high-stakes, high-impact work—and it started with a two-year associate’s degree.
That wasn’t his original plan. Behal started his education at a four-year university, dabbled in computer science and math, joined a fraternity, and left. Then came a side hobby and freelance work: creating 3D graphics and thumbnails for Roblox games.
“I started really getting into graphics design,” Behal said. “That led me to get an associate’s degree in Graphic Arts Technology from EICC. Afterward, I realized I wanted to build something bigger.”
That’s when he found EICC’s AVR program and enrolled. “It turned out to be worth 100% of my time,” Behal said, adding he thrived in the project-based learning environment. He wasn’t just reading or testing—he was building. And every project felt real.
“The more effort you put in, the more you get out of it,” Behal said. “People were having a hard time understanding certain concepts, but I’d go home, watch Udemy tutorials, come back, and everything made sense.”
He used the AVR program to build a portfolio, sharpen his skills, and land an internship with VictoryXR. That internship turned into a full-time role, leading projects like VXRLabs, a “metaversity” platform that created virtual versions of real-world universities. He also created interactive anatomy models, adjusted and moved software to new AR glasses, and led a team of 11.
Behal went on to work on VXRFusion, a mixed-reality learning platform. Eventually, he turned down other offers to join Sigma Defense full-time. There, he creates military-grade VR learning tools, helping sailors understand complicated systems onboard Navy ships—before they even boarded them.
“I demo-ed the product a month early,” Behal said. “They were expecting stick figures, and we gave them full-body avatars. It paid off.”
Now, he’s focused on growth. His goal? Become a chief product officer, leading the creation of tools that help people learn faster and better.
“Right now, I do monthly reviews of our application and suggest ways to improve it,” he said. “I want to work my way up, gain more leadership experience, and help shape the future of VR learning.”
Behal doesn’t mince words when giving advice to those interested in his career field. “The sooner you start, the better,” he said. XR is still in its early stages—making it the perfect time to jump in. Salaries are rising. Companies are investing. Talent is in demand.
“The market is expected to continue expanding,” he said. “Even when I first started, it wasn’t that big. But now? There’s always going to be jobs.”
For high schoolers, EICC’s new Game and Simulation Development Career Academy makes it possible to get started even earlier. Students can complete 17 college credits and earn a certificate in the program before they graduate high school. Afterward, if they complete five more classes, they will earn a diploma and can step into the job market.
“You don’t need a four-year degree,” he said. “I got a full-time job doing what I love. I graduated debt-free. And I was job-ready from day one.”
And while Behal values starting young, his message applies just as much to adults. “If you love this work, if it fuels you, you’ll thrive,” Behal said. “Every application you make can help someone. That’s what drives me.”
Behal is merging technology and creativity into real-world impact. He found the right place to learn, grow, and launch. “Without my education, I don’t know where I’d be,” he said.