Posted February 21, 2025
Soaring Beyond the Classroom with Denver Online
While most students are just walking into their school buildings for the day, senior Keegan Jones has different plans this morning.
Keegan started at Denver Online his sophomore year, leveraging the school’s tuition-free concurrent enrollment program to explore different career opportunities.
Keegan: “So originally when I went to Denver Online, it was the plan that I was going to pursue sports medicine. I took some classes at CEC, which Denver Online allowed me to do, and in pursuing sports medicine, I actually got my certified personal training certificate. Somewhere over the summer, I switched gears and started taking aviation courses, and I really thought that was very interesting. And so now I’m here at my flight school about to go fly.”
Having earned 10-15 college credits each semester, Keegan is on track to graduate high school with early junior-level college credits.
Keegan: “Denver Online really pushes me to take those college classes, and with that, they really do support me in that and make sure I’m getting the most out of my education.”
His ultimate goal? Becoming a commercial airline captain.
Keegan: “Originally the reason I got into aviation was because I was exploring and wanted to learn more about it. But once I went on my first flight, it was just the most fun thing ever.”
Keegan: “It’s just a hard feeling to explain. Ya know, I had flown on airlines before, but flying in a small plane with you controlling it the entire time is just such a different feeling than flying in a big plane. It’s just crazy and intriguing to me, and it just gives me the adrenaline rush that I look for.”
Keegan trains at Rocky Mountain Flight School, where the environment and instructors have been essential to his progress.
Keegan: “So Rocky Mountain Flight School has been great so far, I think in part because of my instructor. He’s been great. He really pushes me, and you know, I’m performing to the best of my ability, and has definitely made me a better pilot. The flight school is run very well—everyone is really nice. A lot of really good instructors fly in from out of state to teach here, so that’s how you know it’s a good school.”
Keegan reflects on his first solo flight with pride.
Keegan: “When I landed for that last one and picked up my instructor to taxi back, it was just an incredible feeling. Just all of the hard work. It just felt like all of that paid off. Especially because I was flying a plane by myself.”
And that’s what Denver Online aims for too: empowering students to take control in the captain’s chair of their own education.
Keegan: “With my pilot’s license, you know, the Denver Online staff is really supportive of that, and they make sure that I am able to work on that as well as school. I think it’s nice to have that flexibility and that nontraditional atmosphere.”
Keegan: “I feel like everybody says the reason they want to become a pilot is because they want to travel. That’s part of it for sure, but I also just like being up there and flying a plane. Pressing all the buttons and moving all the switches is just a lot of fun. It’s just something that you can’t get anywhere else. Like you get to control the whole plane and pressing everything, and I guess the amount of freedom you have is pretty cool.”
Whether it’s in academics or in an airplane, that’s what Keegan’s found: Freedom to fly.