It’s been quite a whirlwind for Slade Rosamond.
In less than a year, the Florida Polytechnic University freshman has earned his pilot’s license, received a scholarship from the Central Florida Aerospace Academy (CFAA) Foundation to attend Florida Poly and started his undergraduate career. Rosamond joined about 400 other freshmen at Florida Poly as the fall 2018 semester began this past Wednesday.
A Lakeland, Florida, native and a graduate of the CFAA, Rosamond said he’s looking forward to this new chapter in his life and has had his sights set on Florida Poly even before the final touches were put on the Innovation, Science and Technology Building.
“As soon as I heard about the building of the university, I was immediately interested,” he said. “Then I took a tour about six months ago, and that’s when I was really impressed and wanted to come here.”
Rosamond is majoring in computer science with a concentration in cybersecurity, an area he said is always changing and only going to grow. He’s up to the challenge.
“There’s never one set solution for cybersecurity,” said Rosamond. “Hackers are always going to find a way through the walls and barriers you’ve built up just for you to have to make more walls and barriers.”
While his short-term focus will be his Florida Poly degree, his lifelong passion has been and continues to be aviation. In fact, he plans on going into the Air Force after he graduates.
Rosamond received his pilot’s license in October 2017 – just after he turned 18 – in a Piper Cherokee. He’s also flown a Cessna 152 and a Cessna 172. Some of the destinations he flies to include Daytona Beach, Jacksonville and Venice.
“It’s definitely one of the best feelings in the world because there is a sense of freedom,” said Rosamond of being a pilot. “My favorite thing to do is to take people up who have never really experienced aviation in that way and show them the kind of freedom I get to experience all of the time.”
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Lydia Guzman
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