Profile - Leigh Sanders

What are your strongest memories of NSBHS?
Unfortunately, I cut class way too much to have that many memories is NSBHS. I always remember the one morning that I showed up to Physics class and Mr. Stevens(?) asked me why I was there and when I told him I was in his class he said that he thought that my name on his roster was a typo. The school formal still has a lot of memories for me; I think everyone had a good time that night. I do often remember hanging out with the likes of Colin Mooney and Jason Diepeveen and enjoying friendships that are still important to me to this day.
Summarize briefly your life since school.
Wow, I hope I don’t run on about this one! After High School, I tried to go back to VOTECH at St. Leonard’s to bring up my HSC scores to try and get into university for electrical engineering but I soon found myself partying way too much and working full time. Luckily I had a moment of clarity and decided to come back to the States by joining the military. I flew to Manila, Philippines where I stayed with my brother for eight months getting paperwork done and exploring what I wanted to do in the military. I finally settled on nuclear engineering in the Navy and off I went. After two years of Navy schools I ended up being dis-enrolled for “immaturity” (yes, there is a whole other story there) and I was assigned to a ship located 15km south west of Seattle, Washington as a mechanic in 1991 on the USS CAMDEN. I met the love of my life and got married in 1993 to my wife Sheila and we had our first child; Israel, in 1994.
In 1995 I changed my job rating in the Navy and was assigned to the USS DAVID R. RAY, 40km north of Seattle until 1998.
From 1998 to 2002 I was a Navy recruiter near my wife’s home town and it was a nice change of pace. In 2000 my wife and I had our second son Isaiah, our third son, Isaac was born in 2001 and our daughter, Isabella was born in 2002.
For the past four years I have been assigned to the USS INGRAHAM in Everett, Washington and have reached the rank of ‘Chief”. The US Navy ranking system is similar to the English military but to put it simply of the nine different enlisted levels (E1 - E9), I am classified as an E-7. Making Chief was a career milestone that has meant the most to me since I enlisted. Another career milestone I achieved while assigned to this ship is to become a Journeyman Mechanic in any industry. I have also been honored while I have been on this ship to be assigned as the ships “Lay Service Reader” which means that I fill the role as the ships chaplain in whatever capacity I can since the ship does not have enough personnel to warrant a Navy Chaplain.
In a few months I will be transferring back to recruiting near my wife’s home town and I am looking forward to retiring from the military in 2009.
To classify my job in the Navy is a little difficult but I have been trained or become an expert on such things as; nuclear power plants, air conditioning and refrigeration, boilers, pumps, hydraulic systems, jet engines, fuel and oil testing, diesel engines and operating a power plant. Did I mention that I drink coffee non stop?...lol.
Being in the Navy I have been blessed to have done a lot of traveling and I have been to numerous ports in Africa, the Middle East, Asia and Australia. Unfortunately, I have only been able to come back to Sydney twice since I left and I find that no other city fits me as well as Sydney does.
Who are the most important people in your life today?
With out a doubt it is my wife Sheila and our kids. I thank God everyday that I married my best friend.