Nate Sanders: Student Spotlight

Nate Sanders, BGHS Senior and Eagle Scout, lives by a specific moral code. The Scout Oath requires those who take it “help other people at all times,” and keep themselves “physically strong, mentally awake, and morally straight.” Nate is a member of the local Boy Scout troop in Bowling Green, and is a violinist in the BGHS Orchestra. His current success in life and security in his future is due to his upbringing in Scouting, and continuous participation in Orchestra.

Nate Sanders entered the musical world in fourth grade, when he began learning violin in Strings class. He watched peers drop out of the class over time, but he did not succumb to the growing crowd. Instead, he persevered through fifth grade, and eventually developed a love for the instrument. This demonstration of endurance is particularly impressive, because Nate describes himself as a “first-generation Strings student.” The only family member with history in the program is his older brother and BGHS alumnus, Jay Sanders. 

When Nate spoke about how he dealt with the rising difficulty of the music being learned in class, he said that “Half of the fun of playing an instrument is learning difficult music, and if you’re having fun you will learn more, in my opinion.” He displays an optimistic attitude towards the daily struggles of self-improvement during rehearsals, which is an important character trait to possess.

Caleb Bonham, BGHS senior and cello player in Orchestra, corroborates Nate’s cheerful attitude. He describes Nate as becoming “more social,” and “developing more of a leadership role” over years of Orchestra participation.

Caleb also says, “[He has done more] leading in Solo and Ensemble, arranging music for our groups, and such.” The Solo and Ensemble program takes place near the end of the year, and is designed to highlight the talent of students involved in music programs. Nate has sacrificed his own time outside of school to arrange music for his group, ensuring that each student involved in his group is able to draw out their innate talents and shine.

After entering middle school, Nate graduated from Cub Scouts, and joined the Boy Scouts. His father, Barry Sanders, has been the Scoutmaster of Troop 79 since Nate became involved in Scouting. Nate recalls that he was highly involved in troop activities mainly because his father was the Scoutmaster. However, his mindset eventually shifted towards appreciating and looking forward to the troop activities. In Nate’s words, “It’s really nice to go out once a month and enjoy nature… it’s all really fun.” Being able to adapt to your current situation and make the best of it is an essential life skill.

Nate found himself ascending the ranks in his troop quite smoothly. Halfway to Eagle, however, he hit a bump in the road. Achieving the rank of First Class requires a list of things, such as being able to identify specific plants, or completing a first aid course. However, you must also pass the Boy Scout Association Swimmer’s Test. 

Nate recounted, “I can swim, but not very well. It took me maybe a whole summer to get through it, and I passed barely.” The swimmer’s test requires a stretch of deep water, and 100 yards of continuous swimming--75 yards using the breaststroke, and 25 yards using the backstroke. After months of practice, Nate finally overcame the challenge that stood in his way, and continued to climb the ranks.

Finally, as a Scout who had achieved the penultimate rank of Life in the troop, Nate had only to complete a community service project to reach Eagle rank. The project cannot be private, and must be approved by BSA administration. He searched for opportunities at the school his father works at, Richardsville Elementary, and came across people in need. The Richardsville LEGO Robotics team had need for a trifold table so they could present their creations, and Nate worked for three days to craft a table out of wood. He sent in the necessary paperwork alongside signatures, and his Eagle project was completed.

Nate officially achieved Eagle rank in January of 2023, when his Eagle Ceremony took place. Becoming an Eagle Scout is an incredible accomplishment, because it represents the time spent in your troop, and your growth as a person. This achievement is especially notable when you consider the fact that Scouts age out of the program at age 18. When a Scout becomes of age, they are ineligible to progress in ranks, and therefore barred from the rank of Eagle. Because the Eagle process is so time-intensive and strenuous, reaching this rank provides many post-high school benefits and opportunities.

Once you are an Eagle Scout, you can sign up for National Eagle Scout Association (NESA), and earn an annual scholarship of up to $50,000 to your college or university of choice. Nate explains, “It is really hard to get 50 grand a year, because I know [important people that] have only gotten 30 grand. But for the college that I plan on going to, that’s almost a full ride for every year.” Although it is difficult to earn a full ride through NESA due to the competitive nature of the scholarship world, earning an Eagle Scout scholarship can be the deciding factor in the school that you attend.

As of today, Nate has a sterling reputation in the Nguttitehen Lodge, and is running for reelection as treasurer in the organization. He won the contest to determine the design of the lodge’s official 10-year anniversary patch, which is worn on Scouts’ uniforms today. Nate commented on the process, saying, “I drew it on a piece of paper, and went to the website that we create our patches on, and they made that drawing into the patch. And then I became the GOAT.”

The Nguttitehen lodge is a branch of the Order of the Arrow (OA), encompassing a total of 64 counties in Kentucky, Indiana, Tennessee, and Illinois. OA is a secretive organization embedded in Scouting--its mission is to improve the lives of as many people as possible by implementing the Scout Oath and Law in everyday life.

As listed on OA’s official website, its members (named Arrowmen) are selected based on their maintenance of “camping traditions, strong Scout spirit, and providing cheerful service to others.” It is no surprise that Nate has been honored with membership in the organization, considering the many qualifying traits he exhibits.

According to the website of Northern Star Scouting, only about 6% of Scouts progress far enough in Scouting to achieve the Eagle rank. With the decline of enrollment in recent years, that percentage has slowly been decreasing. Nate Sanders is breaking the mold by not only showing what the Boy Scout organization can do for him, but what he can do for the world.

-Owen Somerville

Managing Editor

Feature Writer