Ellie Hightower: Navy Bound

Ellie Hightower is an eighteen-year-old girl who has decided that the Navy is her best option after high school. Being so young, many people question if she truly understands what she is going to be getting herself into. She confidently assures everyone that this is what she wants and that this is what she was made for.  

Hightower graduated from high school in the Spring of 2019 but knew well before then that she wanted to become a member of the Navy. She began preparing for this at a young age and it has most definitely paid off.  

“Everything really became real when I was sworn into the Navy on June 3,” said Hightower. “I’ve signed my life away to the U.S. Navy and I couldn’t be happier about it.”  

Hightower continuously expresses her pure excitement for this opportunity. She tells everyone that she knows and wants everyone to understand how much of an honor it truly is for her to be a part of something so much bigger than herself.  

“I will be leaving for basic training at the end of November,” said Hightower. “I feel both nervous and excited to see where this journey takes me, but I know that this will only further me in my life, so I feel more excited than nervous.” 

Hightower applied for a job position that is quite difficult to get when first entering into the Navy. She put endless hours into preparing for this specific position and is excited at how everything turned out for her.  

Navy damage control people do the work necessary for damage control, ship stability, firefighting, fire prevention and chemical, biological and radiological warfare defense. They also instruct personnel in the methods of damage control and warfare defense and repair damage control equipment and systems, which is extremely important for any ship.  

“I was nervous that I would not get it even though I have trained so hard for it and that I would have to do something else that I did not prefer to do,” said Hightower. “I know that regardless of what position I got that it would still be something good as I would be helping people, but it would not have been my dream.”  

She has been very competitive with her swimming since she was very young, which is why she is a great fit for this position. Not only is this position very physically demanding, the normal day to day activities of a Navy member requires her to do a lot of swimming. She has put her skills to good use and everyone around her is proud. Although many question if she is ready for this so early in her life, they are trying to be supportive of the fact that this is what she has chosen to do with her life.  

“I know that there are a lot of people questioning my decision of committing to the Navy at such a young age because they believe that I do not know what I truly want to do with my life,” said Hightower. “Every time someone questions me, I try to explain that this is what I have wanted to do for such a long time. I want to help people and I want to serve the country that has already done so much for me. 

“I also have the amazing opportunity of trying out for the Special Forces Rescue Swimmer program, which is the ultimate goal of this whole thing,” said Hightower. “I am so excited for this incredible opportunity that I have in front of me and I will miss everyone while I am gone.”