Humans of UniSA: Aaron Drayton

Everyone has a story. A defining moment of their existence that makes them the person they are today. For Humans of UniSA, we delve into the depths of human nature and speak with some students to discover a slice of their personal history.

Aaron Drayton

Bachelor of Aviation

I’m Aaron, but some of my friends call me A-A-Ron because of that Key and Peele sketch. I’m from a little town called Howlong, located in New South Wales, and moved here when I was thirteen to ‘enhance my education.’ But, to be completely honest with you, it didn’t help that much. After settling in Adelaide, I went to school at Charles Campbell and became involved in Scouts. But besides that, I just slacked off, met some friends and went to some parties until I finished Year 12.

Some of my nights after school were spent looking through courses at UniSA. Something that really stood out to me was Aviation. I had always wanted to be a pilot, but hadn’t realised it was necessarily possible. After finishing my degree, I hope to fly commercial planes. You need perfect eyesight to become one. But, when I had my eyes tested last, I had 19/20 vision. I’m fairly certain the optometrist said it was actually 19.5/20 vision, but you know, I round it up to 20 anyway. That’s the way maths works, right?

Getting up early in the morning is totally my style. I tend to rise anywhere between 6am and 7am, even on the weekends. I do these group runs every Saturday, which I’ve found has been really good for my health. I also manage my own little side-business for anyone who needs help with general handyman work, or gardening. Essentially, it’s anything I can use as an excuse to get my hands on some tools.

Probably the oddest experience that’s ever happened to me was the time I came back from a trip to Fiji and found a tiny hole in my knee. I tried to ignore it because I was a stubborn teenager, but a couple of months had passed and the tiny hole had multiplied. It suddenly dawned on me that they were drainage holes from some kind of spider. I didn’t go to the hospital, but I definitely should have! Oh well, I’m still here now to tell the tale.

Interview conducted by Ryan Colsey

Photography by Courtney Flynn

This piece was originally published in Edition 29.