Zachary Freels’ time at Georgia Tech has been driven by his desire to serve and to fly.

The aerospace engineering graduate will now attend flight school in Pensacola, Florida.

“It’s a lifelong dream come true,” he said. “I’m excited to serve my country as a naval aviator. And to me it’s just the best of both worlds because I get to serve my country, but I’m going to be serving my country doing something pretty awesome.”

Freels said his education at Georgia Tech was possible because of the ROTC (Reserve Officers’ Training Corps) scholarship. As a midshipman, he was in charge of the Navy ROTC battalion for a semester.

He joined the Ramblin’ Reck Club sophomore year and served as the group’s president this year. The club maintains many of the campus’ most beloved traditions, including the Freshman Cake Race, the Mini 500 and the upkeep and display of the Reck, a 1930 Ford Model A Sport Coupe.  

“My favorite thing about Georgia Tech is how close we are to our traditions.”