PARENTS: Lance and Lynn Deckinger
MAJOR: Aviation

Choosing Hesston

In the fall of my senior year of high school, my summer team played Hesston’s baseball team in an exhibition game and that is where I met the baseball coaches. Meeting them was a big step in me deciding to come here. I chose Hesston because it had everything I wanted—aviation and baseball and it is a Christian atmosphere. Those three things were a big part of my decision, and it was so close to home that it was a no-brainer.

Love of the game

I have played baseball for as long as I can remember. I have always had a bat in my hand. My favorite part about baseball at Hesston is the coaches, Kyle Howell and Courtney Spitz. They are really inspiring. They are the best coaches I’ve ever had.

Passion for flight

My grandpa and uncle were both pilots. Flying with them is on my to-do list. When I was little we would go to Exploration Place in Wichita and there would be an area just for aviation. I would only stay in that little area; I wouldn’t go to the rest of the museum. When I got my private license, through a company in Augusta, Kan., I realized this is really what I want to do. It’s hard to describe. When you fly with a big airliner you are sitting in a bubble looking out a little window and not doing much. When you are in control in a little cockpit, in this little (Cessna) 172, it’s a feeling like no other. You are in control. You can go where you want. It’s awesome.

Endless opportunities

The job opportunities in aviation are what excite me the most about flying. I can go anywhere. I really enjoy being up in the air and the challenge of it. I got to fly to Arkansas by myself already. During the cross-country stage in commercial flying, you get the chance to go to every state and I’ve already been to nine of them. Ultimately I want to fly for an airline. That is what my grandpa and uncle did.

A balancing act

It definitely takes dedication and commitment to play baseball and study aviation. There will be Friday nights when I think I can go hang out with my friends, but I’ll realize I need to work on a report or study. It takes commitment to your studies, staying on them and always trying to get ahead. My mom and dad instilled in me hard work and dedication. Knowing what they have done and gone through has really driven me to be successful.

What his coach says

“Jeremy is an extremely driven individual. He is someone who does not want to let any area of his life slack, even if they are overwhelming areas. He makes sure he plans his time out so he can devote 100 percent attention to the task at hand.” – Kyle Howell, head baseball coach