Quakertown Christian senior flying high into the future

Avery Stout seems like a pretty typical 18-year-old high school senior. He is a lot like most young men his age – he drives a pickup truck; he likes to spend time with his family and friends; and he loves adventures. These adventures often include riding quads and snowmobiles, camping, and traveling.
Take a closer look at Stout and you find qualities and experiences that make his story unique. From the beginning, his life has been an adventure.
Stout’s story begins in Western Ukraine. Just about the time he was born, his soon-to-be parents, Bryan and Mindi Stout, made the decision to adopt a child. After a lot of paperwork, background checks, and red tape, they traveled halfway across the globe to adopt. When they arrived, they found more red tape, and after two weeks of challenges and struggle, they were told “there are no children for you to adopt.” They were told to go back to the U.S. and begin the process again. It was a crushing blow.
However, with the support of their families and conviction to adopt, they stayed in Ukraine for six more weeks.
Finally, they were told there was a boy who needed a family, and if they went to get the toddler, they would be able to adopt him. Bryan and Mindi drove across Western Ukraine to an orphanage near the Russian border. It was here that they met their new son. Soon after that, at the young age of 3, Avery Stout was taking the first flight of his life.
Once he was old enough, he began to attend school. Penn View Christian was his family’s first choice. This is where they began to understand that Stout wasn’t a typical learner. He had a hard time listening and focusing, and reading comprehension was also a challenge. The family thought homeschooling might be the answer. It was a great solution for a time, but Stout continued to grow and needed additional help. In the seventh and eighth grade, he attended The Hillside School in Macungie. High school was just around the corner, and the Stout family needed to make a decision. It was then that they learned about Quakertown Christian School.

With a smaller class size and learning support that Stout needed, the Christian influence assured his parents that it was a place where their child would really be loved. Stout has grown by leaps and bounds at QCS. In his freshman and sophomore years, he worked well with the teachers, getting all the support he needed for success. As a junior, Stout was determined to do more and more of his studies with very little learning support. He has been very successful with all of his studies, but that’s not the whole story.
While all the academic development was taking place, the kid who struggled to focus and had some reading issues, added more to his already full schedule. Stout was working toward his pilot’s license. QCS customized his schedule, making it possible for him to get time in the cockpit. Avery is now a pilot, and he continues to collect hours and advance his skills as a pilot. Avery is quick to tell you the desires of his heart, “I love aviation, adventure and Jesus.”
Last summer, he spent time in Alaska working at a Bible camp, and flying as much as possible. That experience made Avery ask, “just what does God have in store for my life”? The answer became clear: Avery has his sights set on flying as a missionary bush pilot in Alaska.
These daredevil pilots fly in remote and extreme conditions. Many times, these flights are conducted in modified aircrafts, such as float planes that land on water or planes with bubble tires called “bushwheels.”
Today, Stout is finishing his high school education at Quakertown Christian School and racking up hours in the cockpit. He and his family are thankful for the way QCS has been able to work out his unique learning situation and his desire to fly.
Stout is quick to tell you what is in his future, “I am headed to remote Alaska for a two-year Bible/Aviation program. My studies will focus primarily in Aviation, with a minor in Bible.”

---

Join our readers whose generous donations are making it possible for you to read our news coverage. Help keep local journalism alive and our community strong. Donate today.