Local 16-year-old John Humphreys is hardworking to achieve and passionate about helping. Since as early as 8 years old, during which he wrote Be Amazing: A Guide to Becoming the Best Version of Yourself, Humphreys has himself been striving to be amazing.
He has built up numerous certifications, leadership positions, ranks and achievements with the Boy Scouts of America (BSA), Sea Scouts, Venturing Scouts, SCUBAnauts and many other organizations. As of now, the list includes:
- American Academy of Underwater Sciences, scientific diver.
- Reef Environmental Education Foundation, Level 2 fish surveyor.
- National Association of Underwater Instructors:
- Coral restoration diver, master scuba diver, rescue scuba diver, advanced open water diver, drysuit diver, nitrox diver and open water scuba diver.
- Technical Diving International:
- Intro to Caves diver, cavern diver and advanced nitrox diver.
- SCUBAnauts International, 1st Class Naut/Masternaut candidate.
- BSA, Eagle Scout.
- BSA, Troop 109 junior assistant Scoutmaster.
- Sea Scouts, Able rank/Quartermaster candidate.
- Venturing Scouts, Venturing rank.
- Venturing Scouts, Crew 099 president.
- Order of the Arrow, Brotherhood member.
- Order of the Arrow, Uh-To-Yeh-Hut-Tee Lodge Brotherhood chair.
- Civil Air Patrol, Amelia Earhart Award (cadet captain).
- Civil Air Patrol, Clearwater Composite Squadron Bravo Flight commander.
- Civil Air Patrol, Clearwater Composite squadron character development officer in charge.
- United States Naval Sea Cadet Corps, chief petty officer.
- U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary, Basic Qualified member.
- 4-H, Florida legislative representative 2022 and 2023.
- The President’s Volunteer Service Award, Gold Level, 2022 and 2023.
- The Congressional Award, Gold Medal, 2023.
- Infinity Aero Club of Tampa, Outstanding Cadet 2023.
- Completed his first solo flight in a motor-glider (Pipistrel Virus SW) at age 14 and completed his first solo flight in a fixed-wing aircraft (DirectFly Alto LSA) at age 16.
- Part 107 Commercial Drone License.
Humphreys stated, “I think my first big accomplishment that I’m really proud of was, in 2021, I went to space camp — I was attending a space academy program — and I earned the Right Stuff Award, and that meant a lot to me.”
However, he said the expedition in Antarctica is his favorite accomplishment.
He was there at its peninsula for nearly three weeks, from February through March, with the goal of exploring the unique ecosystems that thrive in the extreme environment to study the biodiversity and resilience of life in Antarctica. His jobs included collecting and analyzing data for lifeforms like phytoplankton, along with loads more projects, like a Masternaut project where he did iceberg surveying.
With the main job of being a citizen science diver conducting benthic surveys, he dove into the icy depths of its waters — as cold as 15-29 degrees Fahrenheit. The cold may have been shocking, but he said what had taken his breath away was the vibrant world hidden below.
In fact, when asked about his trip, Humphreys first said, “Antarctica is incredibly and immensely beautiful.”
But beyond simply achieving, his heart lies also in helping others. After Hurricane Helene struck, he was quick to answer the need for clearing away debris, including cutting up and moving fallen trees. And after Hurricane Milton, he was once again quick to lend a hand. Of course, he does community service outside of hurricane cleanups — so much so that he’s committed over 1,500 hours since starting high school.
As for what he wants to do down the line, Humphreys dreams of joining the space industry as a mission commander, specializing in Mars exploration and colonization, with hopes of one day setting foot on the red giant, upon which no person has yet stepped.
“I’m working really hard to gain the necessary knowledge and experience to be a good-fit candidate for the Astronaut program,” he said.
According to Humphreys, there are two main requirements: “You have to have 1,000 hours of piloting command of a jet aircraft, and you have to have at minimum a master’s degree in a STEM field or have graduated from an approved test pilot school. … There are other ones too, but those are the ones I’m working toward.”
These are big dreams, but his dedication and diligence are more than enough for the job.
For now, he hopes to take part in another expedition to Antarctica and experience the wonders of its frozen beauty again. If you’d like to help him or learn more, visit his GoFundMe page at www.amazingjohnjohn.com.
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