He loves the ocean and everything related to the deep sea. He's a sea cadet, part of the TS Chatham Sea Cadet Unit in Tauranga.

His love for the marine life has been noticed by one of the Navy's top men – Chief of Navy Rear Admiral Jack Steer, who's selected Petty Officer Cadet Nathaniele Ellingham as this year's recipient of the $6000 Chief of Navy Scholarship.

Petty Officer Cadet Nathaniele Ellingham. Photo by Cameron Avery.

It's a very prestigious award for sea cadets – only one is awarded in New Zealand each year.

'I was stoked when I heard about it,” says Nathaniele. 'It still hasn't really sunk in really.”

Commodore Dean McDougall this week presented the 18-year-old with the award, which supports serving Sea Cadets in their first year of tertiary study – and demonstrates the Navy's commitment to the Sea Cadet Corps as an integral and valued part of the Navy family.

Eleven serving Sea Cadets have received the scholarship since it was established in 2001.

Nathaniele graduated from Otumoetai College in 2014 and has decided to use the scholarship to fund a Diploma in Mechanical Engineering at Bay of Plenty Polytechnic.

The plan is to see where that takes him. In two years' time he'll decide whether to take a job in engineering or to join the Navy.

The teen claims he's always wanted to join the Navy. Five years ago, in June 2010, Nathaniele visited the Defence Force office in Tauranga determined to sign up.

He was told he was too young and was handed a Sea Cadet brochure. 'So I went down one night and didn't leave,” says Nathaniele.

It was watching Sea Patrol on TV that got him hooked.

'It's just amazing, the opportunities that we get,” says Nathaniele, who enjoys the ship visits, learning seamanship and navigation skills and leadership courses.

He finds it interesting. What part exactly does he find fascinating? 'All of it.”