Ulster BOCES means different things to different people. To Ryan Ribeth, Ulster BOCES has been instrumental in putting him on the track to his dream of becoming a pilot.

As a young boy, Ryan wasn't fully aware of his professional aspirations, he just knew he loved the idea of flying. His family and friends weren't surprised when he grew up and became a pilot though.

"I always wanted to fly. Some people told me that I talked about it in grade school," Ryan recalls. "In seventh grade I was like, 'I'm going to be a pilot.' By eighth grade I had learned about the Ulster BOCES Aviation program and I just counted down the years until I could start."

The 2009 Wallkill High School graduate admits he wasn't as motivated as he could have been in regular high school classes because he didn't think what he was learning was relevant to his future career. He says he saw the aviation program at Ulster BOCES as a catalyst to getting him to where he wanted to be as an adult. "I just really enjoyed learning it [aviation]. I wanted to go there every day instead of my regular high school where I was like, 'I'm here because I have to be,'" he says.

Looking back, Ryan says he didn't anticipate how intense the Ulster BOCES program would be. He remembers, "It was a big shock when I realized what being a pilot was all about. It was theory of flight, meteorology, flying directives, aircraft operating procedures, all in addition to navigation."

He still appreciates that the Ulster BOCES Aviation program combined English, math, and science into its lessons, which inspired him to delve more deeply into these core subjects. "English was incorporated with aviation, so I did a report on Charles Lindbergh. I was like, 'I want to learn about this guy."'

One of Ryan's major accomplishments while in the program was mastering his first solo flight. It came unexpectedly on May 4, 2009. He clearly remembers the windless day when he and his teacher Dan Courtney were flying at 3,000 feet in a Cessna 172. After accomplishing two or three successful takeoffs and landings, Ryan remembers Courtney saying, "I think you're ready to go," so he unbuckled his seatbelt, grabbed his radio, and said, "I am going to solo you right now." Ryan still has a memento of the day, the shirttail that his teacher cut off him in an age-old aviator tradition marking the student's ability to fly without the help of their instructor.

After graduating from high school, Ryan enrolled in the Aviation program at Dutchess Community College and graduated in 2012 with an associate degree in General Studies before enlisting in the Air Force in 2013. He later transferred his credits to SUNY Empire State College where he received his bachelor's degree in Business, Management and Economics.

Today, Ryan is a C-17 aircraft loadmaster for the Air National Guard at Stewart Air National Guard Base. He is responsible for the materials that are loaded and secured into cargo planes, including tanks, helicopters, and items used for humanitarian emergencies.

To be a loadmaster, Ryan must know how much each item weighs and be able to calculate the weights and balances for the pilot who uses that data to determine how much runway will need to be used for both takeoff and landing.

Ryan's attention to detail is matched by his dedication to helping people. He travels overseas on average of once a month with the Air National Guard to provide various kinds of aid, including delivering lifesaving supplies such as food and medical supplies. "Doing aeromedical [flights] and taking people out of dangerous places gives you a sense of good karma," he says. During the three years since Ryan has enlisted, some of the places he has traveled to include Afghanistan, Turkey, Greenland, Kuwait, Khitan, Germany, Israel, and the Republic of Djibouti.

Ryan recently completed an intense 30-day flight school in Morristown, NJ, and is now certified to teach both private and commercial students to fly. He also has his seaplane pilot license and is a Certified Flight Instructor (CFI) and a Certified Flight Instrument Instructor (CFII).

As for his future plans, Ryan, who is in his third year of a six-year enlistment period with the Air National Guard, is hoping to soon be hired as a military pilot. As for now, Ryan is savoring his professional journey. "I'm enjoying it and looking forward to getting back to flying again."