In the decade since he left Southwest Washington, Tenino High School and Centralia College graduate Aaron Flahaut has achieved remarkable success, joining the U.S. Air Force and working on a master’s degree through Harvard University.
As he prepares to graduate from Harvard in May and begin training within the next year to be a U.S. Air Force officer and pilot, Flahaut wanted to share his story with the communities he came from.
“These milestones wouldn’t have been possible without the experiences and connections I made in Centralia,” Flahaut said. “… Those years helped lay the foundation for my personal and professional growth.”
Flahaut, 29, began attending Centralia College in 2012 as a Running Start student. He graduated from both Centralia College and Tenino High School in 2014 and entered the workforce.
“I always had the intention of leaving home after school; however, I went through a period during late 2014 wherein I made job changes, was laid off due to cutbacks, got in a car crash, and lost a friend to suicide … all of which left me feeling lost and uncertain about my next life steps,” Flahaut said.
It was a movie night with his mom that led him to decide on his next steps, he said.
“I decided to join the military while watching ‘The Notebook’ with my mother, and in the scene where the male lead mentions the GI Bill, I realized I could join the military and use the GI Bill to continue my education, along with being afforded the opportunity to travel the world,” Flahaut said.
He enlisted in the U.S. Air Force in June 2015 and worked his way up the ranks, now serving as the section chief of special security operations for Air Force Strike Command at the Ellsworth Air Force Base in South Dakota.
Through the Air Force, Flahaut earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology from the University of Maryland Global Campus in 2020. He enrolled at Harvard University’s extension school in 2020 at the encouragement of his wife, Skylar McKeith, who he met while being stationed in England for six years.
“I had a major bout of imposter syndrome when I started this degree. Coming from my background, I felt I was not good enough for Harvard, and it really was the encouragement of Skylar that led me to start classes and get admitted into the IO Psych program,” he said.
During the four-and-a-half years it has taken him to finish degree, Flahaut has gotten married, had two children, moved from England back to the states and bought a house, he said.
He will graduate in May 2025 with a degree in industrial organizational psychology, and his name will be included on the Harvard University's Dean’s List.
“It has taken me nearly 4.5 years, and in that time I have: had two children, gotten married, moved across the world, bought a house, changed jobs four times, re-enlisted in the military, and been selected as an officer and pilot,” Flahaut said in a LinkedIn post, adding that becoming an officer and a pilot has been the culmination of a decade-long goal.
Flahaut said Thursday that he is still waiting on medical clearances, but anticipates his officer training to begin within a few months and his pilot training to begin by the end of 2025 or early 2026.
“My time at Harvard University has provided me with a top-class education. I have been privileged to study alongside students of the highest caliber, and I have also had some incredible professors,” Flahaut said in his LinkedIn post. “Now I am left with the feeling of ‘What next?’ Fortunately, I have to contend with pilot training over the next few years, so I have time to consider it.”
Pilot training, in total, will take approximately a year and a half of 12-hour training days, he said.
Flahaut said he is considering getting another master’s degree, but is certain he wants to pursue a PhD.
“No matter what, I am grateful for all I have learned and everything else life has to offer!” he said.
To current and future students back in his hometown, Flahaut said, “I come from a background where I had little to nothing. We lived on food stamps intermittently, and I have been homeless twice. Initially, I was not the best student, however, with enough discipline and grit, I truly believe you can achieve anything. Always shoot for the top, and do not let your insecurities get in the way. Create a plan for where you want to go. In the words of Normal Peale, ‘Shoot for the moon, and even if you miss, you will land among the stars.’”
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