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Editor’s Note: This is part of a series of stories profiling graduating high school seniors in Smith County.

With his sights to the sky, Nate Jennings is looking forward to his plans after high school, as he will attend Texas A&M University then train to become a Navy pilot.

“I really enjoy flying a lot and I have been working on getting my pilot’s license, and that’s going to pave the way for being a pilot in the Navy, which is what I am really working toward,” he said.

For this Tyler Legacy senior, Jennings’ time in high school has been nothing short of productive — from leading the marching band as drum major, to playing the trombone for concert band, wind ensemble, full orchestra and jazz band to unit commander for Navy JROTC of Tyler Legacy High School.

On top of taking five A.P. courses just this year, Jennings was also in National Honor Society, officer of Interact Club (a high school version of the Rotary Club) and Mu Alpha Theta (high school math society).

He also participates as a cadet with Civil Air Patrol, which is a program geared toward aviation education and training.

“There’s a lot of opportunities to be able to fly,” Jennings said. “I got my set of wings for gliders … and got to fly those for about a week. There’s cadet programs where you learn about leadership and character development. We wear uniforms and it’s similar to the military with drills and marching.”

Civil Air Patrol provides volunteering opportunities, namely in doing search and rescue, which, according to Jennings, is not as prevalent in the area as there are not a lot of people getting lost.

“Whenever those types of situations happen we work together with FEMA and other agencies. But here in East Texas we usually do tornado and hurricane relief,” he said. “When Harvey hit, that’s when I first joined. Some people were down there and coming back with aerial photography of damage assessment. It’s like volunteer work; it’s a big part of what they do.”

It was during a middle school class where students were instructed to research potential career and college avenues that Jennings first found his military interest.

“I researched the Navy and military,” he said. “I didn’t know a lot about it and it kind of piqued my interest and that’s the reason why I joined Civil Air Patrol, to get a military taste of what I want to do. And I am very confident that this is what I want to do.”

Other than his grandfather being in the Air Force, Jennings doesn’t have a lot of familial ties in the military, but his inspiration comes from his own experience and research.

“I’ve been talking about it since the first time I actually flew a plane, which was March 14, 2020 and that was the same day they told us that school was shutting down because of COVID, so that day kind of sticks with me,” Jennings said. “In Civil Air Patrol you can take five flights where you learn different parts of flying the plane that you get to fly yourself before you turn 18 and that was my first flight. By the time we got back on the ground, I was really convinced that’s what I really want to do.”

Jennings will be able to utilize a Navy ROTC scholarship that will cover all of tuition and fees, as well as book and monthly stipend. He will also receive the Patriot scholarship, which pays for room and board and a meal plan.

“The process is pretty similar to a college application because they look at your academics, as well as extracurriculars, service time and they see where you’ve had leadership opportunities, and I had a lot of those,” Jennings said. “They do physical tests, so they can make sure you’re physically fit and that you can keep up with the program.”

Jennings feels his participation in marching band, JROTC, Civil Air Patrol and other services he’s been part of has been valuable in preparing him for what he wants to do.

“I definitely would not have been able to do this without my JROTC instructor, my band director and all the people who have pushed me, challenged me and motivated me,” he said.

Geoffrey Sherman, principal of Tyler Legacy High School, sees nothing but a bright future for the aspiring Navy pilot.

“Nathaniel is just a wonderful student, a wonderful kid and has a heart for service,” he said. “He’s just going to be not only an amazing person but an amazing American. He’s going to make us all proud here in Tyler.” Jennings is looking forward to being able to have college experience and then get to explore the world in the Navy.

“I really enjoy traveling and the Navy gets a little more of that as far as seeing lots of things at one time since the fleet keeps moving and they stop at lots of ports in deployment,” Jennings said. “So, getting a lot of different experiences, getting out and seeing the world is kind of important to me.”

“Nate has a natural born tendency for leadership, and I know that will be fostered in the Navy,” Sherman said. “He will have a long career in whatever he wants to pursue and will just do wonderful things. We could not be more proud of that kid.”

The Tyler Legacy High School Class of 2023 is set to graduate at 8 p.m. Friday at Christus Trinity Mother Frances Rose Stadium.