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Nathaniel Stout, 17, of Sterling, is one of Sterling High School’s December Students of the Month. He is the son of Jack Stout and Doug and Jennie Smith, and he has a sister, Hannah, and a brother, Benjamin.
Favorite class: Chemistry was my favorite class because it gave us the opportunity to work in the lab and get our hands dirty in the classroom.
Favorite teachers: I can't choose one: Michael Gottemoller, Joel Penne, Alexis Rivera. They all have been more than teachers, they are my coaches, mentors, and friends.
School activities in which you participate: Golf, chess, bowling, tennis, robotics, Math Team, show band, jazz band, concert band, wind ensemble, Madrigals, National Honor Society, and musical theater.
Do you have a job? I play trombone for the Sterling Municipal Band.
Describe your group of friends: I tend to mingle between friend groups: the band geeks, the theater group, teams (golf, chess, math, tennis, robotics) and classmates. I keep an open mind and opinion on people and hang out with any who invite me or include me.
What will you do after high school? I have applied to the United States Air Force Academy, but am still waiting to hear back. If that does not work out, I have a list of colleges: Iowa State, Olivet Nazarene University, St. Ambrose, University of Alabama in Huntsville and Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. I plan to study mechanical engineering.
What is something you learned in high school that you think you'll never use? Probably naming the bones and muscles of the human body in biology.
What kind of music are you listening to? I listen to everything. My playlist consists of Mozart, Frank Sinatra, Glenn Miller, The Beatles, Metallica, For King and Country, Dirks Bentley, NF and Gemini Syndrome – classical string orchestras, the big bands of the 1940s, and all the way to modern rap, rock, and heavy metal.
What is your advice for surviving high school? Don't worry about what others think of you in high school. The only thing that will do is hold you back from accomplishing what you want.
One thing you would change about your school? Allow more class opportunities. Often some of the favorite classes overlap each other, and we have to choose between one or the other.
If you could try any job for the day, what would it be? A fisherman. I would love to be sponsored by a company that makes fishing gear and test it out, because fishing is relaxing and is a longtime passion of mine.
If you could go anywhere in the world for free, where would it be? I would travel to the Alaskan Wilderness, because nothing is more beautiful than God's original landscape, that is peace and tranquility found in the wilderness.
Can you picture your life 10 years from now? Hopefully I am a United States Air Force officer with a degree in mechanical engineering, and design and test aircraft for our nation's defense and transportation.
Anything else people should know about you? I will always do what I believe to be right in my morals and religion.
What is your life's philosophy? "Do unto others as you would have done to you." The only way to live successfully and rewarding is by serving others willingly. In return, people tend to willingly serve you, too, and that creates a life of happiness, peace, and success.