19-year-old Nathan Baskar of Imperial, Pennsylvania, will earn his bachelor’s degree in aviation management at SIU Carbondale commencement exercises on Dec. 13. (Photo provided)
December 10, 2025
19-year-old to graduate SIU with aviation management degree
CARBONDALE, Ill. — Even though no one in his family was in the industry, 19-year-old Southern Illinois University Carbondale senior Nathan Baskar has had a passion for aviation and airplanes for as long as he can remember, including dressing up as a pilot for Halloween when he was 2 years old.
Just 17 years later, Baskar will walk across the stage of SIU’s Banterra Center on Saturday, Dec. 13, to receive his bachelor’s degree in aviation management from the School of Aviation as his family including parents Jey and Sumi Baskar look on. Baskar, who is from Imperial, Pennsylvania, completed his degree through SIU’s Online and Extended Campus off-campus aviation management program at Community College of Beaver County (CCBC) in Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania, with a 3.938 GPA.
Faith, family support were pivotal
While it’s easy to admire a 19-year-old who has a private pilot’s license earning his bachelor’s degree, Baskar cites his Christian faith, articulated in Colossians 3:23, as the inspiration that “drives me to work hard in everything I do.”
“What many people do not see is the countless hours that my parents, siblings and grandparents have spent raising, helping, supporting and encouraging me,” he said. “I have been blessed with a wonderful family, and without their sacrifices, influence, impact and prayers on my life, it would not be possible to achieve what I achieved.”
Fast-track to bachelor’s degree
A May 2024 graduate of West Allegheny Senior High School, Baskar began taking college-level courses as a high school freshman to complete many required college-level general education courses. He dual-enrolled with CCBC’s High School Academy Program as a high school junior, which allowed him to take college-level aviation classes before enrolling at SIU Carbondale in August 2024.
Nicholas Ostalecki, a senior lecturer in SIU Aviation’s program, said Baskar’s personality, drive and “desire to achieve great things in his life” stand out. Aviation faculty are flown to Pittsburgh for face-to-face classes that meet every other weekend; each class is six weeks long.
“He would always show up to class ready to go, with his work ethic combined with his personality,” Ostalecki said. “Class was always fun for everyone, including the instructor. There were times in class during group discussion when Nathan would take the class away with a story, or conversation, but also be the first to help any fellow students out.”
Baskar is “always be one step ahead of things and always talking about his next goal he set for himself. I see Nathan’s personality driving his desire to accomplish great things in his life, which makes anything possible for him,” Ostalecki said.
Able to pursue degree close to home
Baskar is already working toward becoming a certified flying instructor and earning his master’s degree, also from SIU. He toured major aviation colleges to learn more about his options, but no college “could match the speed and tuition costs that SIU offered at CCBC. It was also very convenient as I got to live at home and go to class every other weekend at a place where I had friends and community.”
Instructors and staff “really care about your success as an individual,” Baskar said. “The whole program itself is a close-knit community.”
While at CCBC, Baskar founded and is vice president of the CCBC Aeronautical Society, a student club with more than 100 members focused on connecting aspiring aviation professionals with real-world opportunities through networking, education and community involvement. Baskar added the program is convenient for students who have busy working and flying schedules.
“It is challenging but quick, and the teachers we have enjoy teaching and have unique and qualified aviation experiences,” he said. “This gives us industry insights and knowledge in ways that cannot be received otherwise, and it allowed me to become a more informed pilot, not just in flying, but in the realm of aviation safety, business and law.”
Steven Emmert, a lecturer in the School of Aviation and an off-campus instructor, had Baskar in two classes, including a master’s level air transport labor relations course. Emmert noted it is an “exceptional accomplishment” to be accepted into the degree program but that it “was an obvious decision to have Nate enrolled in the 500-level version of the course.
“He not only showed his developed leadership among his class peers serving as his mock negotiating team’s leader guiding them to develop a simulated collective bargaining agreement to represent employees at an aircraft manufacturer; he also stood out among his peers on his achievements on written assignments and exams, earning an almost perfect score in the course.”
Ally Noel, a student success coach with SIU’s Online and Extended Campus, said Baskar has been an “outstanding student to work with.” The program typically has between 30 and 40 students each semester, with many in their late teens and early 20s, and Baskar is always prepared, polite “and really on top of everything.”
“His maturity and focus are well beyond his age, and finishing a bachelor’s degree at 19 — less than two years after high school — really says a lot about his drive,” Noel said. “He sets big goals and follows through, much like many of our other students at this location. There are some students that are overprepared, always show up on time and do not need much ‘help.’ Nathan is surely one of these!”
Career plans to be a pilot
Baskar said his goal is to initially join a regional airline and then work up to where he becomes a captain for a major air carrier. He also wants to use his abilities to give back to his community, possibly through volunteer service. Aviation careers can bring stress and anxiety, but in those times, Baskar said, he looks to Philippians 4:6, which encourages the faithful to turn to God.
“Everything I have achieved and completed is not even feasible without the favor of God and the support of family, friends and teachers. I am the person I am today because of them,” he said.