Why Riddle?

It is during peak College Admissions time, and this time two years ago I was trying to decide which university to attend. I know what you are going through, so I thought, why not write about why I chose to come to ERAU? It is a question I get asked a lot. Many people ask, “You’re a business student, why did you come to ERAU?”. Well, let me tell you…

First of all, I have been interested in air travel my entire life. I always loved going to the airport, getting on a plane, and in a few hours, I would be across the country. It was always amazing to me how many people are transported via air travel each day. This is why I pursued aviation. People say, “once you catch the aviation bug, it will never leave you”, and I have found this to be very true. No matter what, I know that I love aviation and I love to travel, so I morphed that love into a career path.

You’re thinking, ‘why business’? Well, I wasn’t exactly sure why at first. I loved Calculus in high school, so I decided, ‘well, I’ll be an engineer’. All of my teachers in high school told me to pursue engineering, since I was good at math. Up until about a few months before I had to apply for colleges, I was committed to being an engineer. However, I had a moment of realization when I attended a presentation by another university. They discussed all of their lab equipment, science classes, and the technology they had. I simply thought to myself, this does not interest me. Many people look at engineering as a high-paying job that is in high-demand, which is true, but they don’t realize all of the dedication you have to have to your studies and career. At least, I didn’t. I am so thankful that in that moment I realized that I did not have a  passion for engineering and science. Because of that, I discovered I loved business. I realized I loved the power in decision-making business has. I wanted to be able to analyze revenues, costs, customer satisfaction, etc. and make a smart business decision. Then, I thought, ‘wait, I love aviation and I love business, why not do both?’. That is how I decided my future career path.

Now as to why I chose Riddle. It is pretty self-explanatory. ERAU is top in the nation for aviation, so why settle for anything less? I visited campus in Daytona Beach and fell in love. I liked the smaller size, the friendly atmosphere, and the proximity to the beach and central Florida. After I visited, my mind was made up. I knew ERAU was where I belonged. Don’t get me wrong, I was still VERY nervous to attend a university that was 3,300 miles away from my home in Seattle, WA. However, I knew I needed to get out of my comfort zone, and I thought college was the perfect way to do it. I also got a chance to look at all of the student organizations on the ERAU website, and I knew I wanted to get involved. I saw so many options for clubs and organizations that were interesting to me, so I felt like I would fit in and be able to contribute to something other than my academics.

So, here I am. Attending the most prestigious aviation school in the country, studying Aviation Business Administration, and writing to prospective students. What could be better? I truly love Embry-Riddle and am passionate about sharing my experience here, as well as why Riddle is an amazing place to be. As I finish up this post, I want to leave you (prospective students) with some advice…

  1. Take time to think about what your passions are, and how you can apply them to a career.
  2. Make your own decision about where you want to attend university. After all, you are the one who is going to be attending, not your friends or parents.
  3. Do not stress about finances just yet. Apply where you want to apply, and everything will work itself out.
  4. Visit campus. This is so important in getting a feel for what life is actually like at the university!
  5. Don’t stress. I know the college application process is very frightening, but I promise you, you will end up where you are supposed to be.

Trust the process. I am so grateful that I trusted myself and made my own decision to attend ERAU. It has been the most beneficial choice I have made, and I am so thankful for everything Riddle has done for me already. If you are like me, scared to leave home and pursue your passion, take the jump! I promise you it will be such a rewarding experience. I hope to see you here soon!

Until next time,

Lindsey