Sky is the limit for aspiring pilot Aaron

By DELORESE TALASI
AARON Nannou’s childhood dream is to become an aircraft pilot.
Now at 28 years old, he is yet to achieve it. But he is still trying. He has not given up.
And listening to everything he has to go through so far in life, the faint-hearted or anyone less determined would by now have thrown in the towel.
Aaron’s motto is: “The sky’s the limit”.
“I am not a quitter. I know I can still somehow achieve my dream.”
Today, he is into his final year in an aircraft engineering degree course in the Philippines. He will graduate in March. After that, he plans to pursue another course to eventually become an aircraft pilot.
The Bougainvillean lad from Iumore, a small village in the Buin district of Southern Bougainville was born at the Tabago Health on June 3, 1992. He is sixth eldest in a family of eight.
Aaron completed his primary education at the Kipau Primary School at Grade Eight in 2007.
He went on to Grade Nine at the Buin Secondary School in 2008.
“Because the school was a bit far from the village, I became a boarding student.”
But he had to quit school after an incident.
“In the middle of the year, some boys stole all my clothes from the laundry line. I had to withdraw from school.”
In 2009, Aaron returned to school, completing Grade 10 in 2010. But his marks were not good enough for selection into Grade 11.
“My hope to be somebody in the future was shattered. I cried knowing that my parents wouldn’t want to look at me since I had failed them. But they never gave up on me.”

“ Even though I was going through a lot, I never forgot to pray. Every Sunday, I walk to the nearest church to say my prayers and thank God for the week’s blessing.”

He decided to work on a Plan B. So he packed his bag, said goodbye to his family and went to East New Britain in search of an institution where he could upgrade his marks.
Aaron enrolled in the Flexible Open and Distance Education in Rabaul. He went on to complete Grade 11 at the Kerevat National High School.
“Life was hard for me. I lived with a wantok at a block and used to walk for four hours to where I was doing FODE. One of my problems every day was food. I sometimes did not have dinner or breakfast. But I never gave up. I know with God by my side, I can complete my education and be somebody in the future.”
He drew close to God to guide him past the obstacles.
“Even though I was going through a lot, I never forgot to pray. Every Sunday, I walk to the nearest church to say my prayers and thank God for the week’s blessing.”
God intervened one day.
“One Sunday evening as I was walking to church, a couple on their way to their block at Vunapalading picked me up and asked me where I was going, where I lived. All those questions. I told them my story.
“I knew my prayers had been answered when the couple invited me to live with them, even though I was a total stranger to them.”
John and Parang Darius looked after Aaron and treated him like their own son. When he was attending Kerevat National High, they visited him and gave him food, money and other things he needed.
“The couple became my foster parents. Before I went abroad to study in the Philippines, I visited them first in Rabaul before I went to Bougainville to see my biological parents.”
After completing Grade 12 at Kerevat National High in 2013, he was again not selected by any tertiary institution. He had applied for a spot at the University of PNG, Divine Word and University of Goroka. But no luck.
“I never gave up. I was so determined to achieve my dream still that not being selected to any university didn’t have much impact on my life. Giving up and going home was not in my book. I knew somehow I will get there.”
He watched everyone else going to their respective institutions to continue their studies. So he decided to enroll at the Mega Institute of Technology, a Filipino-owned institute in Rabaul.
“I took up electronics. My childhood dream is to work in the aviation industry. I ended up taking medical tests and other tests to attend the Indiana Aerospace University in the Philippines.”
“I passed all the tests. I was very happy knowing that my dream was finally coming true.”
But yet another hurdle.
“After completing my one year and six months, I was supposed to start (clocking) my flying hours. But the fees were very expensive and my parents couldn’t afford it.”
Aaron had to think of something quickly before he was forced to return home to PNG.
He changed course and took up aircraft engineering. Today, he is into his final year on that.
“I will be completing studies in March. I will do my on-the-job training at the end of this year and look forward to graduating with a degree in aircraft engineering next year.”
Sure it had been a long arduous journey. And he owes it all to his parents and everyone who had lifted him off the floor when he was down, and egged him on.
“I am very grateful to my parents that even though I had a lot of setbacks during my education journey, they never gave up on me. Now I am finally getting my degree and hopefully one day I will get a job. I then can go back and finish what I have been aiming to do – become a pilot.”
Aaron continues to live up to his motto: Sky’s the limit!