Natalie Fontenot to Continue in Father’s Footsteps at Air Force Academy

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Natalie and her father.

Senior Natalie Fontenot has her hopes set higher than most high school students.

She plans to follow in the footsteps of her father, a former fighter pilot for the United States Air Force, who served for 18 years but passed away a few years ago. In the fall, Natalie will attend the United States Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, CO.

Fontenot was born in Idaho and as a “military kid,” moved to Florida, then to Alaska, Maryland, and overseas to Japan. Currently she lives in Longmeadow, MA.

“It was really cool,” Natalie said about her unconventional upbringing. “My sister and I got really close because we were always changing schools. The only constant that I had was my sister.”

Natalie and her father.

Fontenot attended several schools around the country, including three high schools. She found herself at Williston after wanting a place that fit her and that she felt comfortable in. She went to Longmeadow High School prior to Williston and a high school in Japan before that.

The military lifestyle, and a desire to honor her father’s memory, helped shape Fontenot’s decision to embark on this adventure.

“I realized I wanted to serve my country and create the kind of change I saw my dad create amongst the people he worked with,” she said. “Hopefully, I can take the skills I’ll use [at the Academy] to pursue a career either as an intelligence officer or as a pilot.”

Natalie is looking not just for an education, but for a springboard to inspire others.

“One of the main things the Air Force Academy does is they create leaders, and I hope I can take those skills of leadership that they instill in every single cadet and use them to lead a strong career and inspire my fellow officers when I get out into the real world,” she said.

Natalie’s father served in the United States Air Force for 18 years.