High-achieving graduate pursuing dual careers in National Guard, airport planning

Growing up, Elliott Szoke always thought he wanted to become a pilot. The recent aviation business graduate even chose CWU, in large part, because of its renowned aviation program.

But once Szoke arrived in Ellensburg three years ago, he unlocked a new passion for airport planning.

“During COVID, they still had some restrictions with the pilot training program, so I decided to switch to the management track,” he said. “Everything kind of worked out in the end because I fell in love with planning.”

Once Szoke got started in the aviation program in 2021, he came to the realization that flying airplanes may not be what he wanted to do every day of his career.

“I wanted to leave a lasting impression, and with airport planning, the work you do will be there for many years to come,” said Szoke, who also earned minors in military science and project management. “The professors in the aviation management program have experience doing these types of jobs, and they helped me envision the direction I wanted to go.”

As luck would have it, he already has a job in his chosen field. After serving as an intern with Century West Engineering for the past two years, he started working full time in the company’s Bothell office after completing his degree in early June.

“I feel very fortunate to have found something before I graduated,” Szoke said. “But it’s not just a job; I really love it. There’s a lot of satisfaction in being able to look back on the work you did and say, ‘I did that.’”

Another reason Century West ended up being an ideal fit for Szoke is that the company is fully supportive of his other career in the Army National Guard.

He serves one weekend a month and also attends a mandatory two-week training every summer. Later this year, he will have to fly to Georgia for a five-month officer training, but Century West management has expressed that they are completely behind him.

“It can be hard to find an employer that is so flexible when it comes to military leave,” Szoke said. “But my bosses understand my situation and they are willing to work with me.” 

Military-Minded

As much as Szoke enjoys airport planning, he is equally passionate about his military service. He said he hopes to one day become a major or lieutenant colonel, but no matter what rank he ultimately achieves, he looks forward to the challenge.

“I really enjoy it, and I’m going to keep going as far as I can,” said Szoke, who joined the Army during his senior year of high school in Mukilteo.

Szoke explained that he had his sights set on joining the military even before he developed a passion for flying. From a young age, he and his older brother, Austin, shared a mutual love for the military. Once his brother enrolled in the ROTC program at Virginia Tech, Szoke decided that he wanted to follow in his footsteps.

“We were always interested in the military as kids — reading about it, watching movies, spending time in the outdoors,” he said. “When my brother went into the ROTC, that cemented my decision.”

When Szoke started looking at colleges that offered both aviation and ROTC programs, he didn’t have to look very far.

“Central stood out in both respects,” said Szoke, who completed his associate’s degree in business at Edmonds College before transferring to CWU. “It was also nice to stay close to home, but having both of my passions in one place made for an easy decision.”

His experience in both programs ended up being exactly what he was looking for. He came away with real-world exposure in both of his chosen career paths, building lasting relationships and essential knowledge along the way.

He specifically thanked Lieutenant Colonel Joe Paolilli, the program’s battalion commander, for his mentorship over the past three years.

“Joe was my go-to for just about everything,” Szoke said. “He helped create an environment that showed us what we’re going to experience one day in the Army. I got to sit down with him once a week and talk about what was on my mind. I feel like I have come a long way after working with him.”

High Standards

Like most military members, Szoke doesn’t allow himself to be content with “good enough;” he’s constantly striving to be the best.

His commitment to excellence was reflected in everything he did at CWU, whether it was a 3.99 grade-point average or his cadet battalion commander position with the ROTC.

Szoke proved that he’s prepared for an even greater level of responsibility last summer when he was ranked 57^th out of 6,000 cadets nationally after his performance at cadet summer training at Fort Knox, Kentucky.

“The ranking is based on points you earn in field training, along with your navigation skills, and leadership skills,” he said. “They also judge you on how you serve as a platoon leader and how well you communicate with others during a difficult mission. They give you a score for each of the categories, and I ended up scoring all Es.” ("E" stands for “exceeds standards.)

Szoke said he received a similarly glowing evaluation for his career at Central, which took into account his grades, leadership skills, physical training scores, and more.

“I’ve always had the mindset of trying to take away something from every experience so I can become better,” he said. “For me, it’s all about constant learning.”

Now that Szoke has completed a memorable three years at CWU, he looks forward to proving himself further with Century West and the National Guard.

He worked hard to create those opportunities for himself, but he knows he couldn’t have done it on his own.

“I built a lot of great relationships at Central, and the people there have been really good to me,” Szoke said. “I wouldn’t have gotten my job at Century West if it weren’t for CWU, and I wouldn’t be the leader I am today without the ROTC program. I don’t think I could have chosen a better place to get my education.”