Comstock Park — Senior Walker Saincome never knew Miguel Nava, the U.S. Marines captain and 2013 Comstock Park High School graduate who died in February during a helicopter exercise, but Nava did leave an impression.
“I think he is pretty inspiring,” said Walker, who has a brother, 2021 Comstock Park graduate Grant Saincome, serving in the National Guard. “I know from what I have learned about him, he was voted most likely to be successful for his class, and then you see all that he did in the years after he graduated from high school.
“It makes me want to strive to do more.”
As part of the 10th Annual Freedom Cruise, a portrait of Nava was presented to his family during a Sept. 6 assembly at Comstock Park High School. That evening, the high school’s football game against Holland Christian was designated as a “patriot game,” where veterans could attend for free and were recognized at the game.
“I think it is important that our students understand what Nava’s legacy was and the platform that he lived by,” said Assistant Principal Tony Petkus, who was the athletic director when Nava attended Comstock Park High School.
Petkus described Nava as a humble person who always put others first. He said Nava also had some lofty goals and achieved quite a bit in his brief lifetime, which included entering the U.S. Naval Academy, becoming an officer and a pilot.
“I think learning about him and his life inspires you to do better,” said ninth-grader Kiera Susick. “You want to live the life that somebody else didn’t get the chance to do.”
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