WINTER HAVEN, Fla. — It was the trip of a lifetime, diving to the coldest place on Earth as a citizen scientist.

But, time spent in Antartica is not John Humphreys ultimate goal: The teenager wants to be an astronaut.

What You Need To Know

  • John Humphreys dreams of being an astronaut

  • The teenager is laying groundwork now, learning to fly planes and deep-sea dive

  • Humphreys raised money to dive in Antarctica as a citizen scientist

  • He is now learning to fly a seaplane — and to drive

“I set my mind on something and work until I achieve what I set out to do. I kind of obsess and become a workaholic about it,” he joked. “If you really want something done, and it’s a goal you have, set that goal, focus on it and get it done.”

In February, Humphreys was in the throes of fundraising for his pricey venture, applying for grants, taking on part-time jobs as he practiced cold water dives and studied for the journey.

At the end of the month, the teenager set sail for Antarctica with others in order to study climate change.

As of late, Humphreys is tackling new challenges, like learning to fly a seaplane, taking lessons with pilots like certified flight instructor, Jake Polumbo, at Jack Brown’s Seaplane Base in Winter Haven.

Several years ago, Polumbo met Humphreys at a U.S. Military Academy orientation and immediately the retired Major General was struck by his determination and focus.

“He’s a driven young man who really knows what he wants,” said Polumbo. “It’s what we do every day, right? Take care of our young people and get them ready to be adults and good citizens and they end up taking care of their country and community.”

For Humphreys, taking care of others is in his nature.

It’s why in December, though he already sports a hard-to-earn aviation merit Scout badge, he helped host a day of learning in Lutz for hundreds of other Scouts to achieve the badge.

“I said, ‘Is there any way I can work with you to get a bunch of Scouts to earn their aviation merit badge in a day?’ So we worked on the program,” Humphreys remarked to the group, before checking in on the various stations, from flight simulation training to drone operations.

His mother, Nicole, whirled around the site, clipboard in hand, running point for the ever-positive teenager.

“He’s very inspiring, and he has a heart of gold, so it’s hard to say ‘no’ to him,” she said, adding, “He just has a passion for learning and likes to share it with others.”

This year, the close duo shared something else: tragedy. Humphreys lost his grandmother, a mentor and other family friends all in the course of a year.

“This year has been incredible, filled with some of the biggest ups in our life, and the lowest lows in our life and even all in the same day,” said his mother.

But, amid the stress and sadness, Humphreys said came a sound reminder for him that life is short, fueling his fire further to tackle lofty goals.

“If I put the work in and I don’t get it, at least I know I’ve tried for that and didn’t let my dreams go by the wayside,” he said.

So now, the cave-diving adventurer, who has already flown a plane solo and expressed interest in serving in the Navy, is tackling yet another challenge.

The 16-year-old is learning to drive, spinning around town on his learner’s permit with his mother in the passenger seat.

“I don’t have to parallel park a plane or a boat, so it’s a bit weird … having to deal with traffic, other people and guess what they’re going to do,” he said after parallel parking for the first time. “It’s a new skill, a new thing I have to work on and master. It’s just a humbling experience.”