While many teenagers put off driving until they are older, Jeremy Ko (12) stands out amongst the crowd — not only can he operate a car, but he has also acquired the skills to pilot a plane. In fact, on the day of his first flying lesson, Jeremy woke up at 5:30 a.m., the earliest he had ever risen during high school, fueled by excitement for his newfound passion: aviation.

“Flying planes is very interesting because of the feeling of freedom,” Jeremy said. “It’s a very special feeling to do whatever you want, be able to go in any direction you want and be unbounded.”

Jeremy’s love for feeling unbounded extends beyond the cockpit, as close friend Rishi Cherukuri (12) discovered when they met through Quiz Bowl in ninth grade. In his daily life, Jeremy values adventure and spontaneity, as well as the ability to pursue his interests and passions without worrying about the opinions of others. 

“He doesn’t care too much about what other people think about him,” Rishi said. “He just tries to have fun, does whatever he wants and is a really chill guy.”

Though Jeremy only began flying planes during the summer after his junior year, his interest in aviation has been longstanding, stemming from his childhood dream of becoming an astronaut. He was drawn to the profession’s uniqueness, as less than one thousand people have been to space.

During high school, Jeremy decided to take his first step toward this goal by learning to fly an airplane. Though he was nervous piloting a plane for the first time, his apprehension faded as he gained confidence in the cockpit during subsequent sessions. 

“During my first flight, I was pretty nervous because everything was new to me,” Jeremy said. “But if I ever messed up badly, the instructor could intervene and fix my mistakes. There’s some degree of nervousness and fear, but the fact that there’s an instructor sitting next to me helps. After taking that first flight, I was hooked.”

Yet, Jeremy faced a significant hurdle in his pursuit of aviation lessons: the cost. To help cover those costs, he took up two jobs in the summer, working around fifteen hours as a tutor and a barista to fund a single lesson. 

“Because flying planes is so expensive, each class where I feel like I don’t accomplish anything makes me feel like I wasted both my time and my money,” Jeremy said. “Each fruitless lesson feels like a really big setback.”

As an aspiring pilot and astronaut, Jeremy firmly believes in the Latin motto “ad astra per aspera,” which translates to “to the stars through hardships.” He finds that the phrase fits him, both literally and figuratively.

“The ‘to the stars’ part refers to me wanting to become an astronaut and fly planes,” Jeremy said. “The ‘through hardships’ part really encourages me when I’m feeling discouraged or down. Whenever I’m daunted by the fact that being an astronaut is so hard, that motto tells me that the difficulty is part of the journey.”

Upper school college counselor Martin Walsh has observed Jeremy’s growth throughout the college application process. During their meetings, Walsh noticed how Jeremy always invests himself fully in his unique interests, such as aviation and Roman poetry, which he even tried his hand at writing.

“In a school that at times feels like a glorified tech firm, Jeremy injects soul and emotion into the hallways,” Walsh said. “He is just what Harker needs, a little less physics and more poetry.”

While the journey to becoming an astronaut can be daunting, Jeremy looks back on his aviation experiences with no regrets. He remains determined to take the necessary steps toward his ultimate goal, whether that’s learning to pack light through backpacking or pursuing a degree in astronomy to understand the technical side of spaceflights. But for now, Jeremy believes that the lessons he has learned from flying, such as the focus required to pilot a plane, can be applied to his everyday life, regardless of his career path. 

“The journey that I have taken will change me to be a much better and different person,” Jeremy said. “Even if I don’t become an astronaut, I’ll still have my pilot license, and I’ll still have all the experiences, knowledge and skill that I’ve gained from learning how to fly.”