WHIZ KID: Kirkland Teen Bound for Civil Air Patrol Flying Camp

Name, age: Mitchell Holliday, 18.

School and Neighborhood: Mitchell, who lives on Rose Hill, just graduated from .

Accomplishment: A volunteer with the Civil Air Patrol's Overlake Squadron, Mitchell has been selected to take part in the CAP’s “Desert Eagle” summer flying camp.

A glider pilot with 30 hours in the air, Mitchell is looking forward to getting more experience in powered aircraft.

The two-week long camp in Ephrata, WA, will consist of flight time, classroom instruction and more flight time.

“Wake up, fly, learn, study, fly, sleep,” Mitchell said. “I’m going to use it to my full advantage.”

Key to awesomeness: Mitchell got involved with the Civil Air Patrol about four years ago. His father had been an Air Cadet in Canada, so flying and volunteerism are in the blood.

“It just runs in the family,” Mitchell said.

The Civil Air Patrol was founded during World War II and was tasked with searching for German submarines, among other things. These days, the CAP helps out with search and rescue efforts and emergency services.

Mitchell loves to fly and has 90 glider flights under his belt. “It’s great,” Mitchell said.

Mitchell enjoys the sense of accomplishment he gets from doing something he would have never thought possible.

“I get up there and I realize that there’s not many people that have the opportunities I do,” Mitchell said. 

Mitchell said that he’s incredibly grateful for those opportunities.

A good student in high school, Mitchell is currently looking into studying at a community college before moving on to a four-year school. He has an interest in studying aeronautical engineering and may eventually pursue a career in the military.

“I think a military career would be the way to go,” Mitchell said.

Mitchell is considering transferring to Central Washington University or the University of North Dakota, which he says has an excellent aeronautics program. He has already visited the campus and enjoyed the experience.

“I really liked it there,” Mitchell said.

Mitchell will be at the “Desert Eagle” flight camp in late July, along with 25 other cadets from across the state.