While completing homework, hanging out with friends, and playing sports are popular weekend activities among high school students, Wyatt Cote (12) stands out for his unique hobby of professionally flying planes.

“I’ve loved planes and piloting since forever [but] flying is still always a little surreal to me,” Wyatt said. “Flying a plane is always a blast — it’s very exciting and will always be a lifelong highlight for me.”

For as long as he can remember, piloting has been Wyatt’s dream. Frequent visits to the Hiller Aviation Museum sparked Wyatt’s interest in aviation as a child, when he would play with flight simulators for hours on end. He began to take aviation more seriously in 2021, working at the San Carlos airport, and hopes to pursue a career in piloting in the future. 

“When you don’t get bored of doing the same thing over and over again, every weekend, year after year, and it’s not even the real thing, you just know,” Wyatt said. “I knew I had completely fallen in love with aviation at that point.”

Due to the time commitment involved in flying planes, Wyatt encountered challenges when attempting to balance his piloting training and his academic obligations. Additionally, Wyatt noted the pressure that comes with piloting, as even the slightest error can result in dire consequences when in flight.

“Flying definitely keeps your focus the whole time,” Wyatt said. “Screwing up when you’re flying a plane is a whole other animal. Trying to learn how to fly when you’re this young and still in school, you just can’t dedicate enough time to it because there’s so much to learn.”

Through piloting, Wyatt has learned to exercise his patience. When he’s done conquering the skies for the day, Wyatt devotes much of his time to golf, where he similarly found success through patience. With five years of experience under his belt, Wyatt plays competitively with the upper school varsity golf team as well as during his free time.

“To sum it up, golf is stressful but exciting at the same time,” Wyatt said. “It’s like every hole is a reset and a chance for something special to happen.”

Like piloting, golf demands a high level of patience and concentration with every swing. In the classroom, Wyatt’s patience has helped him navigate through difficult exams and manage stressful scenarios.

“I was never a very patient person,” Wyatt said. “But when you’re playing, you have to get locked into a zone where you’re completely patient [and] completely at peace with yourself. Being able to get into that zone and having that experience has definitely transferred over to keeping me calm.”

Wyatt’s experiences have instilled in him a strong sense of personal responsibility. Beyond his humor, close friend Freddy Hoch (12) noted a transformation in Wyatt’s mindset towards school and life in general, and hopes that he’ll continue to progress in college.

“He’s definitely matured a lot over the years and grown up which has been nice to see,” Freddy said. “As he goes to college, though, I still hope that he’ll watch out for himself because things can get pretty tricky.”

Upper school history teacher Carol Green similarly witnessed Wyatt’s growth. She noted that upon first meeting Wyatt last year, she couldn’t quite discern whether Wyatt was a serious or humorous student — only to discover he was a blend of both.

“His determination to do his best is so amazing,” Green said. “He sits and thinks about things really hard and really tries. I would see him come into office hours and put in a lot of effort to improve, and that really speaks to his courage and maturity.”

As he graduates high school, Wyatt hopes to leave a mark on the school beyond his sense of humor. He strives to also leave behind a legacy of determination and integrity that will inspire his peers for years to come. 

“I know that I’m known as a class clown and as a funny person overall,” Wyatt said. “While I want people to remember my humor, I also want them to remember my sincerity, diligence and focus.”