About Grace Hamilton

Senior

Aerospace & Occupational Safety

Hometown: Pensacola, Florida
Campus Involvement: Women Ambassadors, Orientation Team, Aviation Safety Advisory Council, The Avion, Flight Safety Department, Women in Aviation International, International Society of Air Safety Investigators, and American Society of Safety Professionals.
Why I chose Embry-Riddle: a. I have always had a passion for aviation and safety. Growing up in Pensacola, FL, I was constantly at the museum and watching the Blue Angels practice. What I saw and learned there inspired me to pursue an aviation career. Once I set my mind to that goal, Embry-Riddle was the only option I could see. It was the only school I applied to because I was determined to pursue my goals. The opportunities and networking that Embry-Riddle provides have made my journey so far incredible and unique.

Surviving the First Week of Classes

Posted on August 25, 2025 by Grace Hamilton

The start of the fall semester is just around the corner. In just a few days every student will be back on campus walking, biking, skateboarding, and the occasional running around campus getting to classes and lunch. If you are new to campus your first week may seem a little intimidating and overwhelming and that’s okay. We were all there once too. Throughout my time at Embry-Riddle, I’ve come up with a few tips to help make that first day and week feel like a breeze.

Walk Your Schedule
- Before my first day of classes I always “walk my schedule”. I go through a walk to each classroom in the order I would during a normal school day. This helps you get acquainted with where your classes are and the easiest way to get to the next one. If you are a new student, this will help you from being late on your first day.

Put Your Schedule in Your Phone
- I would not survive without my phone. Not because of social media but because of my calendar. My calendar is my life……… seriously. My whole entire schedule for school, work, and social is in my calendar. I put my class schedule into my calendar with the location, title, and times. I have my color coded as well as all of the clubs I am a part of. Most of us have our phones on us 24/7 so this is a quick and resourceful method to keep track of your schedule without having to carry around a paper.

Plan Your Lunchtime
- During lunchtime the Student Union can look a little chaotic. If you want Chick-fil-a I suggest going before 11 am and after 12:30 pm. That hour and a half in-between has a consistently long line. If you have the time to wait, go for it. However, if you only have 30-45 minutes in-between classes you most likely will not have time to wait. I personally bring lunch from home because I live off campus, do not have a meal plan, and it’s a lot cheaper. If you aren’t on a meal plan and want Starbucks, I recommend ordering ahead on the app so that by the time you get to the second floor of the union, it is ready for you.

Find a Quiet Place to Study
- Hopefully you don’t have too much homework your first week of classes but there are a few professors who see the first week of classes as just another regular week and give homework on day one. If you would like to have a quieter environment to do homework I recommend the third floor of the union, the library, or to reserve a study room. These are some of the best places on campus that I have found that have reliable Wi-Fi and low noise levels.

Don’t Wait till the Last Minute
- If you know you have an 8 am class do not wait till 7:45 to get up. Nobody wants to be rushed trying to get ready, eat breakfast and get to class. Make sure you give yourself plenty of time to get to class so you can have a stress free week.

I hope these few tips help make your first week on campus a breeze. Just remember to take it step by step. You are going to do great things!

Dreams Becoming a Reality

Posted on August 4, 2025 by Grace Hamilton

During the past spring semester I was scrolling through LinkedIn when I saw an application pop up for the GE Aerospace L.I.F.T conference in Cincinnati, Ohio. The application was open, and I decided to toss my name in the bucket for it. Throughout the semester I completed 3 different interviews for a chance to attend. As the semester was coming to an end I got an acceptance email. I was in!!! I was so excited and grateful to have been chosen to attend this incredible conference.

For those who don’t know what this conference is all about, let me help. Every year GE Aerospace hosts a conference at their Cincinnati headquarters called the L.I.F.T conference. It stands for “Leaders Innovating Flight for Tomorrow.” People applying to this conference are looking for opportunities to receive an internship or full-time position with GE Aerospace. It is an incredible opportunity to get your foot in the door. Let me just say my experience was incredible.

Around 2 weeks before the conference I attended the teams meeting with all the attendees and employees running the conference. It was here that I learned I was one of the 94 students accepted out of the 2,800 plus who applied for a chance to attend. A remember another attendee asking how many of us attending would receive an internship. The GE employee told us, “There are 94 of ya’ll and 94 positions available.” That was very comforting knowing that I already had one foot in the door and just needed to ace my interview. Don’t get me wrong, I was definitely stressed about the interview.

GE Aerospace paid for my flight, hotel, and transportation for the trip which was a blessing. I left Daytona Beach at 6 am and made my first stop in Atlanta. I ended up spending an extra hour and a half in Atlanta because we had no Captain for our flight. Eventually I found out that our Captain was stuck in traffic and that they were going to get us a Captain that was already at the airport. Eventually I made it to Cincinnati and headed towards the meet-up spot for transportation to the hotel. Turns out there were 5 people on the Atlanta flight I was on attending the conference. We ended up talking the whole drive to the hotel and getting dinner once we got situated.

That same night everybody went to the Cincinnati Reds baseball game. GE Aerospace had the whole Handlebar Lounge and Seating Area reserved for the conference. We had an abundance of food. I spent most of the time at the game networking with GE Aerospace employees and asking questions. I am very glad that I did because I was able to talk to my program coordinator for over an hour and she ended up being one of the people interviewing me in the end.

The next day was filled with different informational sessions, interview preparation, and a behind the scenes tour of their Cincinnati facility. It was an incredible experience, and I got to see so many things in person that I had only seen in a YouTube video before. They are truly the best in the industry.

During my final day there I spent several hours preparing for my interview and ensuring that I had everything together. My interview went very well and took about 45 minutes. The employees at GE Aerospace are all so passionate about what they do, and it truly inspired me that I made the right decision in wanting to work for this company. Everybody was told that they would hear back on Monday about whether or not they got the position. After everybody did their interviews, we had a farewell barbeque where we had a BBQ food truck and an ice-cream truck. Many of the friends that I made and I ended up playing cornhole to celebrate the end of the conference.

On the ride to the airport, I got a call from the program coordinator and was offered a position for next summer. I happily accepted. So next summer I will be interning with GE Aerospace as an Environmental, Health and Safety (EHS), Manufacturing, and Facilities Intern. I don’t know which location I will be at yet, but I know that it will be an incredible experience.

When you see the application for the 2026 L.I.F.T Summit please apply. It was an incredible opportunity, and I would recommend it over and over again. There are so many different fields and positions open. Whether you are looking for an internship, full time position, or leadership program there’s something for you.

Here’s a photo from the Handlebar at the Cinncinati Red’s Stadium and all of the conference attendes. See if you can spot me.

Move-In Time: What You Really Need

Posted on June 25, 2025 by Grace Hamilton

As we are quickly getting closer to the middle of the summer its time to start focusing on what you need to bring with you to move into the dorms. Now if you start doom scrolling on Instagram and TikTok there will be people telling you to bring this and that. But let me tell you……. half of that stuff you will never use and it will just end up taking space.

A lot of students like to “theme” their rooms and make it something that represents them and their hobbies. During my freshman year my side of the dorm was very pink and girly. My roommate loved sunflowers so her whole side was very floral. We didn’t know we were roomates until we moved in but it ended up workiing out well. If your are able to coordinate with your rooommate(s) it will help ensure that your room isn’t too cluttered. Here’s my list of the items that were crucial to me during my time in the dorms:

Dorm Room Essentials:

Mattress topper – trust me your back with thank you
Twin XL sheets
Mini fridge
- When your meal plans run out and you want a little snack or ice cream having one of these is a lifesaver.
- My roommate and I shared a minifridge to save on space.
Desk organizer
- The desk you are given only has one drawer, so if you have a lot of stationary i suggest having one of these.
Desk lamp
- The lighting in some of the rooms is kind of dim so for late night studying this is an essential.
Comfy pillow
Comfortor
Towels and washcloths
Personal hygenie items
Storage or shelving (make sure its nothing to big)
Hangers
Blanket (I was always freezing in the dorms….. lol)
Snacks
- There is no such thing as too many snacks
Laundry basket with either wheels or a handle
- The washer and dryers are not in your room unless you are in New Res 3 so I suggest a nice and sturdy laundry basket
Laundry detergent and fabric softner

These are just a few of the basics that you are going to want to have. Now decorations are completely up to you but I know I definitely brought way to many. I learned from my fall semester and took alot of it home during the Christmas break.

You can also see a list of things to bring – or not to bring – on the Residence Life page here. I hope this helps a few of the incoming Eagles. See you all in the fall!

Miles of May Magic

Posted on June 9, 2025 by Grace Hamilton

The month of May was an adventure from Day 1. Between family visiting, house sitting, and my internship I have stayed consistently busy.

Earlier this month my mom and grandmother came down to Daytona to visit and celebrate my birthday with me. We went out to the Tanger Outlets for some internship outfits and summer shoes. Let’s just say I got a whole new wardrobe for my internship, and boy am I glad all my tops were short sleeves. Along our adventures around Daytona I gave them a tour of Embry-Riddle’s beautiful campus. My grandmother had never been here before so she wanted to see everything.

During their time here we went mini-golfing, enjoyed the poolside and had some incredible food.

My internship at SeaWorld has been a blast. I’ve been learning so many things about environmental safety and how it all relates to the animals, guests, and local area. It has been extremely hot in Orlando the past few weeks. As you can see I am a ginger and the sun and I aren’t exactly friends. So my daily 6-7 hour walks and 15,000 steps around the parks have been accompanied by a lot of sunscreen, but every minute out in the park is worth it. Everyday I am learning something new.

One of my favorite experiences so far has been helping the guest find their way around and answering any questions they may have. Being able to put a smile on their faces and help them enjoy their day at the park makes me smile. The little kids always adore watching the animals especially the dolphins and orcas. We just recently got a few rescue dolphins in and they are the sweetest things ever and so playful.

Little SeaWorld fun fact for ya:

Jaws 3 was filmed at SeaWorld. Pretty cool right?

Everyday that I walk into work and leave I am greeting with some precious wild rabbits. They are adorable!

Now for some yummy treats. 🙂

On my last update I showed you all my fresh sourdough bread. Well, I’ve tried something new and have now learned to make chocolate rolls. These were incredible right out of the over with the melting chocolate and fluffy/flaky rolls. They did not last very long and are going on a “to make again” list. If anyone is interested in the recipe just let me know.

Unlocking Scholarships: Tips, Tricks, and Hidden Gems

Posted on May 15, 2025 by Grace Hamilton

Hello everyone! Since summer is here and we all have a bit more time to breathe and relax we can focus on funding our future. Embry-Riddle is an amazing school that’s worth every penny plus some. However, it is really expensive, and that’s coming from a Florida resident. The only way that I have been able to attend Embry-Riddle for the past 3 years is all thanks to scholarships. I am so grateful for every single one of them and all the donors who are making my aviation safety dreams come true.

Now many people will tell you, “You’re going to have a bunch of student debt when you graduate” and “college is too expensive.” You know what my response to that is? I will always respond, “College funding can be a breeze if you prepare before hand and continue to pursue opportunities.”

Here’s my guide for how to graduate college debt free like me and so many others. I will warn you its not going to be handed to you. You will have to work and put effort in. Just remember that that effort will pay off big time and allow you to have a little less stress through your college years.

For my Florida resdidents look into the Florida Bright Futures Scholarship. There are two different breakdowns depending upon your GPA, volunteer hours, and SAT/ACT scores. Since Embry-Riddle is a private university you will only recieve a percentage of this money but trust me when I say every little bit helps out. Alongside this there is the Florida EASE scholarship. You should be automatically put into this one depending upon residence and scores but all specific details can be found on the website.

Now for all the Riddle eagles out there please, and I cannot stress this enough, apply for the Donor Scholarship from the school when you see the email pop-up in your inbox. It takes less than an hour to fill out and gives you the opportunity to be considered for so many different donor scholarships. I have recieved a few each semester from this application and it has saved me time and time again. You only have to answer a few questions and write a personalized essay about how scholarships would help you and who you are.

Another great funding opportunity out there is FASFA. This is a government scholarship that has no interest and doesn’t require any payback. The application for this can be a little tricky and confusing but the program was recently updated allowing the process to go much smoother and quicker.

At Embry-Riddle having good grades helps a lot in the process of obtaining scholarships. The school offers a Presidential Scholarship to students with high GPA’s and performance. This is a great opportunity to obtain an easy scholarship and motivation to do well in your courses. For all the ladies out there Embry-Riddle offers a Women of Excellence Award under similar circumstances. Most recieve this every year without any extra work needed. So while some people say grades aren’t important they most defiently are! Having good grades and a decent GPA gives you a higher chance of recieving higher scholarships amount and more awards.

Overview of all scholarships mentioned:

Florida Bright Futures
Florida EASE
Embry-Riddle Donor Scholarship
FAFSA
Presidential Scholarship
Women of Excellence Award

I hope that this helps inspire some of you all to take the time and opportunity to apply for as many scholarships as you can. Scholarships have helped me pursue my educaticational goals and future career without all the financial stress and student debt. They can help you too! Please reach out to your financial advisor for any specific questions regarding your specific path.

Checklist Complete: Internship Season Begins

Posted on April 30, 2025 by Grace Hamilton

Hello everyone! The Spring 2025 semester has officially wrapped up and summer has begun. I wanted to take a quick moment to introduce myself. My name is Grace Hamilton and I am an Aerospace and Occupational Safety Major with minors in Aviation Law, Aeronautical Studies, and Human Factors. I know it sounds like a lot but its really excited to see how they all intertwine. Spring 2025 wrapped up my third year at Embry-Riddle. It’s crazy to think that I’ve been an eagle for that long but time flies when you are having fun!

Last semester I had to great opportunity to tour United’s MRO facility at Orlando International Airport with the Aviation Safety Advisory Council. For anybody who, like me, at first doesn’t know what MRO means it stands for “Maintenance, Repair, and Operations.” Let me tell you, this trip was incredible. I got to tour both hangars and even see a B-737 completely gutted out that was getting rewired. There were so many components at this facility and I learned so many new things that I can apply to my career.

During the past month I have been so busy I can’t believe that I even got to sleep. Every week there were meetings, end of semester banquets, trainings, elections, and finals. Oh I can’t forget the three presentations that I had to do. All in all everything turned out really well. It may have been stressful and chaotic but it was so rewarding and exciting.

Towards the end of this month The Avion held elections for their new executive board. I’m excited to begin my postion as the 2025-2026 Design Editor for the Avion. I have so many fun and creative ideas to boost engagement and give students a platform to display their events, news, and photographs. So keep an eye out for what is to come!

Now that the semester is over I can begin focusing on my internship. I got accepted to SeaWorld and will be working for them as a Safety Specialist intern this summer in Orlando, Florida. I’ve been to SeaWorld so many times growing up that I was ecstatic when I got an email that I was accepted for the program. I don’t quite know all that I’ll be doing yet but that’s just part of the journey. What I can tell you all is that on my first day there I get to observe the fire evacuation procedures for the Sky Tower ride. It’s going to be a fun and busy first day.

It may sound like life at Embry Riddle is go go go all the time, and sometimes it can be. But, it is important to remember to take time for yourself and enjoy the little things. For me that is baking, embroidery, crocheting, and enjoying the beach. Today I baked two sourdough loafs. Nothing like fresh baked bread and a walk on the beach to make your day.

I hope you enjoyed my little debrief of my final few weeks of the semester. This summer is going to be exciting and full of new adventures that I am so excited to share with you all. There’s going to be alot coming this summer and next fall. I can’t wait to share my journey will you all! Have a great summer!

My Life @ Riddle

Daytona Beach Edition

Author Archives: Grace Hamilton