Balancing school responsibilities while preparing for the future is often stressful for high school seniors. For senior Ethan Colling, that stress came from managing schoolwork alongside his training to become a pilot. 

He said he works hard to manage his time to prepare for the future.

“I do a lot of things outside of school, and having that intertwined with school just leaves me with very little free time in general,” Colling said. 

Outside of school, Colling spent much of his time studying and attending ground school, which was the first step toward earning a pilot’s license. Ground school teaches the fundamentals of aviation before students begin flying Colling’s learning the foundational theory and procedures to learn more on how planes fly. 

“That’s kind of been taking up a lot of my time,” Colling said. 

Colling planned to attend college and work toward his licenses.

“I’d go to a nice college, walk out with my private and commercial licenses and then get hired by an airline,” Colling said. 

His interest in aviation began when he was in elementary school, inspired by his grandparent’s background in aviation. His grandpa worked at airports and served in the U.S. Air Force. 

“Being around it so much kind of got me interested,” Colling said. 

In five years, Colling said he hoped to be working as a certified flight instructor to build flight hours after having graduated.  

“I definitely want to get out of Missouri,” Colling said. 

As graduation approached, Colling said he felt some pressure and burnout, but he remained focused on his goals. His biggest fear, he said, was failing after high school. 

“I don’t want to peak in high school,” Colling said. “I just want to succeed on the path that I try to take.” 

Colling said he was excited to go to college and gain more independence. He was deciding between the University of North Dakota and the University of Nebraska Omaha, both known for their aviation programs.