About Lindsey

Senior

Aviation Business Administration

**Campus Involvement:** Honors Program, Sigma Sigma Sigma Sorority, Women in Aviation, Orientation Team, Resident Advisor, Women's Ambassador Program

The End of the Semester is Approaching… Bring on the Stress

Posted on November 16, 2015 by Lindsey

It is the middle of November, and it seems like classes are speeding up, rather than winding down. With three projects due the day before Thanksgiving, weekly assignments, and endless meetings, I feel like I will never make it to Winter Break. However, it is a refreshing feeling knowing that once I make it to Thanksgiving, I will be stress-free.

That being said, where has the semester gone?! I feel like I have been in Daytona for two months, not four! It seems like each semester flies by faster than the last one did. I cannot even imagine how fast my senior year will go by…

I know this time of year is full of a lot of stress, so I wanted to share some ways I am coping with the stress. I believe it is so important to do something for yourself at least once a week, whether this be going out for ice cream, going to the beach, or just watching a good movie. Taking time for myself helps me to forget about my stress for awhile, and focus on having fun.

Lately, I have been doing active things to keep my mind off of school. Last weekend Tri Sigma had our Fall Sisterhood, which was bio-luminescent kayaking at Mosquito Lagoon. We went kayaking in the dark, in the middle of nowhere. It was so amazing to see the water light up every time your oar hit the water. The stargazing was also incredible! However, just like the name, I ended the night with 60 bug bites all over my leg, and am still recovering. Getting out into nature was just what I needed to kick-off the month of November.

This weekend I started my open water diving scuba certification course. The first day was spent in a classroom learning information, while Sunday was spent in a pool learning skills. I am not going to lie, I was pretty scared when I first went under water, however, I got used to it, and actually really enjoyed it. I cannot wait until next weekend, when I get to dive at both Alexander and Ginnie Springs. I will be completing the course, while diving at two beautiful springs in Florida!

Being busy and active on the weekends has helped me to have something to look forward to, besides due dates for final projects! When I look at my planner and see a full week, I know I have to plan in something fun to do on the weekend. This strategy has helped me throughout my three semesters in college, and I would recommend it to you, as well! For now, I will say good luck with any finals you have coming up, and I hope you are not stressing out!

Until next time,

Lindsey

Why Riddle?

Posted on October 28, 2015 by Lindsey

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…

Take time to think about what your passions are, and how you can apply them to a career.
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.
Do not stress about finances just yet. Apply where you want to apply, and everything will work itself out.
Visit campus. This is so important in getting a feel for what life is actually like at the university!
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

Fall Break in Boston

Posted on October 21, 2015 by Lindsey

I cannot believe half of the semester is already over! Time is seriously flying. Fall Break signifies the middle of the semester, which is nice, but also frightening because of how much I still have to do before the end of the semester! However, it was nice to get away for Fall Break last weekend.

Like most people, I left Daytona to travel. However, what was different is that I was traveling for ‘work’. I say ‘work’ because I wasn’t going home to see my family, and technically I was working, although, my work is so much fun. I traveled to Boston for the Women’s Ambassador Program. I traveled with my friend Kalina, who is also an ambassador. The purpose of the trip was to volunteer at the Geek is Glam STEM Expo for Girl Scouts. We did volunteer, but we also got to sight-see!

Kalina and I woke up very early Friday morning to catch our flight to Boston. After a couple flights, coffees, and awkward naps on the plane, we made it to Boston. Once we arrived we were picked up by an ERAU Admissions Counselor, whom we work with a lot. We all went straight to downtown Boston. Kalina is from MA, so she knew everything about Boston, but what she didn’t know is that she would be surprised by her family when we arrived! After all of the excitement, the group of us toured around the city, since I had never really been downtown.

Hello, Boston!

Our first stop was Quincy Market, where I had the most amazing Lobster Roll. It was delicious!! New England sure does know how to do Lobster. Next, we walked around to Faneuil Hall, Town Hall, Beacon Hill, and through a few parks. I was amazed by all of the history in the city. Of course I learned about Boston in U.S. History, but it was crazy to be where all of the history took place. After our long walk, we walked to Little Italy to grab a cannoli at Mike’s Pastry, which is apparently pretty famous! The cannoli was to-die-for! After our treat we spent some time down by the water, and then headed out of town to our hotel in Central Massachusetts.

Famous Quincy Market

Kalina and I in front of Faneuil Hall

Myself, Crystal, Kalina, and a friend

Old City Hall building

Chocolate Chip Cannoli from Mike’s Pastry

The drive was beautiful, since I got to see the historic Fenway Park, and all of the leaves changing colors. It was nice to be in crisp air as opposed to Florida’s muggy, warm air. However, I did not like the temperature!! All weekend it was about 50 degrees, with lows in the 30s. I was definitely not used to that. We got to our hotel and went out for a nice dinner at a local Italian place. Then it was time for bed, since Kalina and I had such a long day of travel.

The next day, Saturday, we had our event. We had to run to Walmart to grab some supplies, which was an experience! We ended up searching for a long time for a laundry detergent called Borax, which we needed to make the Goo we were using for the event. After countless walks around the aisles, we finally found it, which was a relief. The event took place at Worcester Polytechnic Institute. It was a beautiful campus, filled with old brick buildings with modern flares. There were about 450 Girl Scouts who were on campus for the event, which as you can imagine, was pretty crazy. At our booth, we had straws and marshmallows for the girls to build towers with, and Goo for the girls to play with. Goo is a putty-like substance created with Borax, glue, and water. Other booths had robots, ice cream made with liquid nitrogen, and many other science-related items.It was about a 4 hour event, however I spent a lot of the time making Goo. It was a hit with the girls!! However, it takes about 15 minutes to make a batch of it, which had to be made in the bathroom. I ended up running back and forth from the booth to the bathroom making and delivering Goo. It was all worth it, though. I loved seeing the girls so excited and eager to learn about the Goo. It was a rewarding feeling knowing that I helped to keep them interested in science.

Kalina and I making Goo at the STEM Expo

After the event, we drove to Wahlburgers, which is Mark, Donnie, and Paul Wahlberg’s restaurant. They have their own show, which showcases the restaurant and their family life. I had Donnie’s Choice Burger, which turned out to be the best burger I had ever had, a frappe (milkshake), and fries! Now I understand why there was a 45 minute wait to get a table. The restaurant was unique and fun, which is why I think so many people love it.

YUM, Wahlburgers!

Once we had finished eating, we drove to Salem, MA to experience the spookiness. Since it is October, Salem was hosting many Halloween-related events. It was very, very cold that night, so we walked around the streets quickly looking at all of the famous sites. The place that blew me away the most was the memorial for those who died during the Salem Witch Trials. It is crazy to read how they died, and why they were believed to have been a witch. The history in Salem was incredibly overwhelming, however it is worth the visit.

The Witch House in Salem

The next day, Kalina and I headed to the airport at 5:30am to catch a flight back to our warm, Florida residences. I cannot explain how grateful I am to have been able to travel to Boston with one of my closest friends. I never thought I would ever get to see New England and all of its history, so it was an experience I am incredibly thankful for. I cannot wait for more amazing ‘work’ trips in the future, but for now, back to school!!

Until next time,

Lindsey

Traveling the U.S. with ERAU

Posted on October 12, 2015 by Lindsey

Hello, again! It has been a few weeks since I have written about my life, but that is mostly because my life has been so insanely busy lately! Between midterm tests, activities, and meetings, I have had hardly any time to myself. However, it is time that I fill everyone in on what I have been up to.

The most exciting thing that has happened in my life, since my last writing, is that I was able to travel to Dallas, TX and Boston, MA with ERAU Admissions. As you may know, I am a part of the Women’s Ambassador Program, which is a group of current female students at ERAU, who work to promote women in STEM careers. We are able to travel with Admissions to the Embry-Riddle Prospective Student Presentations, to talk about our experiences at ERAU Daytona Beach.

We left on a Friday afternoon for Dallas, TX. I got on the plane in Daytona excited for a weekend filled with travel. After a couple flights, we finally made it to Dallas. We stayed at the largest hotel I have ever been to in my life, the Gaylord Texan. It was like its own city! Words and pictures do not even describe the atmosphere inside that hotel. Once we dropped off our stuff in our rooms, we were able to meet up with other ERAU Admissions Counselors and go for dinner at an amazing Tex-Mex place! Seriously, Tex-Mex is incredible. I was also able to catch a glimpse of a beautiful, red Texas sunset, which was the perfect end to the night.

The exterior of the Gaylord Texan. It’s huge!

A picture of the interior of the hotel. There was a river through the middle!

The next day, we hosted the Prospective Students Event at the hotel. We had a great turn out, and I was thrilled to be able to speak at my first event. I spoke about my experiences as an intern at Sea-Tac International Airport in Seattle. I was also able to talk about fun things to do around Daytona Beach. I absolutely loved getting to speak to high school students about why they want to attend ERAU, and why they love the degree they are going to pursue. I saw so much passion and potential in those students, it reignited my love of Embry-Riddle. All in all, the event went smoothly. But, we had a plane to catch, so we had to run from the event to the airport. Thankfully we made it with plenty of time to grab a bite to eat! Next stop, Boston, Massachusetts!

After a long evening of travel, we made it to Boston just after midnight. To our surprise, we stepped out of the airport, and we were freezing! It was only about 55 degrees, however, we are used to the Florida sunshine! Once we got into our warm hotel rooms, it was time for bed so we could prepare for an early morning.

In the morning, we woke up and headed downtown to where the event was taking place. We got to the hotel, set up, grabbed a coffee, and set out to tour around Boston as much as we could. We decided to walk up to Paul Revere’s house, since it was so close. Word of advice to the ladies: DO NOT wear heels walking around the streets of Boston. Cobblestone roads and sidewalks to not pair well with heels. Once we took a few pictures of the house, we walked down the street to Modern Pastry, which is apparently a very popular pastry shop. Of course, since it was my first time in Boston, I had to get a cannoli. It was delicious! I’m craving another one just thinking about it.

The street that Paul Revere lived on. The brown house is his!

Delicious treats at Modern Pastry

The event in Boston was another successful one, although, I had a flight to catch, so I had to leave quickly. Leaving the city, I realized that it was nice to experience fall in New England, that I miss crisp, cool air, and that Boston is an incredible city. I am so lucky that I get to travel back to Boston next weekend!

Myself in the streets of Boston before the event

After a long night of flying, once again, I finally made it back to good ole’ Daytona Beach. It is always nice to get away for a weekend, and I realized it was just what I needed. I am continuously blessed with the opportunities I have at ERAU, and I cannot wait to see what other opportunities will arise over the rest of the semester.

Happy travels, and until next time,

Lindsey

August Overview

Posted on September 15, 2015 by Lindsey

What a whirlwind month it has been! August flew by faster than I would have liked, but it was filled with activities. On August 1^st, I left Washington for Florida. We started off my time back in Florida with a trip to Universal Orlando. Of course, I had to take my family to The Wizarding World of Harry Potter to experience a butter beer. Later that week, we also spent time in St. Augustine. Although it was pouring rain the entire time, we still managed to explore the city, and enjoy some gourmet popsicles. Later, we drove up to Jacksonville, to visit the oldest standing plantation in Florida. Since we are in Florida, we had to spend some time at the beach. One day, we drove down to Cocoa Beach to visit Ron Jon’s Surf Shop and eat on the pier.

Lauren, Myself, and David at Islands of Adventure

Eating gourmet popsicles in St. Augustine

At the oldest plantation in Florida

Hanging out on the pier at Cocoa Beach

After my family left, I moved in to my residence hall just in time to begin Resident Advisor training. This year I will be a RA in McKay Hall. Training was a week long and I really enjoyed getting to know all of the other Residence Life staff members. After RA training, next up was Orientation Team training. We went on a retreat to Camp Ocala, where we learned all about how to be successful Orientation Leaders, as well as bonded as a team. I have never had that much fun camping before.

Once Orientation Week started, my life was crazy. We spent countless hours setting up, attending, and tearing down events. The O-Team became my family for the week. We were all together from about 7:30AM-11PM, so there was plenty of time to spend with each other. During the week, I learned how to dance, since O-Team dances ALL the time!! It was so awesome to get out of my comfort zone, while encouraging incoming freshmen to get out of theirs, as well. One of my favorite events of Orientation Week was the Silent Disco. Everyone gets a wireless headset with flashing colors, corresponding to what music station you are listening to. It becomes a huge party with a lot of dancing, but the funny thing is that there is no music being played aloud. After Orientation Week ended, I was completely exhausted, but also sad that it was over. I had so much fun welcoming the new freshmen class to ERAU.

Waiting for Convocation to start with the O-Team

Orientation in the ICI

O-Team after Orientation

Now that classes have started, it is back to my everyday routine. Classes and meetings will begin to consume my life soon, but I will make sure to make some time for myself. A weekend trip to Disney World might be a necessity…

Until next time,

Lindsey

Flying high over WA State

Posted on July 27, 2015 by Lindsey

Over the past two weeks, I have been spending a lot of time in the air. Although I’m not a pilot, I will never skip a chance to go flying. One of the best experiences I’ve ever had flying happened just two weeks ago.

Because Alaska Airlines operates over half of the flights at Sea-Tac International Airport, the two businesses have a close relationship. I’m thankful for this because Alaska Airlines took all of the interns (Port of Seattle, Alaska Airlines, and Horizon Airlines) on a delivery flight! Most people in the aviation industry never have the chance to go on a delivery flight of an aircraft, so I am very grateful I had the opportunity to.

The day started off at Alaska Airlines Headquarters, right across the road from Sea-Tac. We got to see all around the corporate building, then we got on a bus to head over to the Boeing 737 factory in Renton, WA. Boeing doesn’t offer public tours of the Renton factory, so it was pretty awesome to get to see inside. Unfortunately, we weren’t allowed to take photos, so I don’t have any to share with you all. After the tour, we headed over to the Museum of Flight at Boeing Field in Seattle. It is one of the best flight museums in the country. My favorite part is the 787 Dreamliner and Air Force 1 that they have on display for people to walk through outside. Have any of you ever been inside a 787? They’re huge!

Hanging out at Alaska Airlines Headquarters

A quote I love at the Museum of Flight

After we were all toured out, we got on the bus and headed over to the Boeing Delivery Center building at Boeing Field. From there, we were able to go out on the ramp and meet our ride for the next hour. It was a brand new Boeing 737-900ER. We were able to take pictures in front of the aircraft, in the engines, as well as inside of the landing gear! It was amazing to see all of the wiring that goes into just the landing gear.

New Alaska Airlines Boeing 737-900ER

The wiring for the landing gear!

Sitting in the engine

Once we had taken all the pictures we could, we boarded the aircraft. Just like new cars, it had that “new airplane” smell. We were able to sit wherever we wanted and roam about the cabin. Our flight route was leaving from Boeing Field, flying over the Cascade Mountain Range, and then looping back to Paine Field in Everett, were there are more Boeing factories.

Port of Seattle interns on the flight

During the flight, we were able to ride jump seat and talk to the pilots. Boeing also gave out gift bags with goodies and a full meal. It was awesome! We even played trivia over the speaker inside the aircraft. It was such a long, aviation-filled day, but I will remember it for a lifetime. I hope everyone gets the chance to go on a delivery flight, because you truly get to appreciate all of the work that goes into creating a brand new aircraft.

Up in the flight deck

Now I mentioned I’ve been doing a lot of flying lately. I also was able to go on a few GA flights over the past few weeks. The first, we just did a few loops around my town and over the lake where I live. It’s crazy how different things look from the air!

The second GA flight I went on was incredible. We took a 172 up to Seattle and did a scenic waterfront flight. Normally, if anyone wanted to go on a Seattle flight, it would cost hundreds of dollars per person. However, the beauty of knowing pilots is that you get that whole experience and more, for a lot less! We flew north over Tacoma, the Puget Sound, around and under the Bravo airspace at Sea-Tac, and up to Seattle. It was so pretty, especially because we went at sunset. Seattle is one of the most beautiful cities in the country, and its even better from the air! We couldn’t get enough in just one fly-by, so we looped around for about 30 minutes, taking pictures and admiring the city from above.

Seattle waterfront from above

Just a few friends in a 172

Seattle, Washington

A few years ago, I never would’ve thought I would be where I am today. I mean a delivery flight?! That’s a dream come true. Then flying over Seattle with some of my best friends, I never would’ve guessed. When I get to reflect back on all of the amazing aviation experiences I have had, I feel so blessed to be attending ERAU, where I’m making my dreams come true one by one. It is incredible all of the opportunities Riddle has given me, just in my first year. I cannot wait for the aviation-filled years to come!

Until next time,

Lindsey

USA, USA, USA!

Posted on July 13, 2015 by Lindsey

Independence Day weekend could not have been anymore perfect. Between a great 4th of July, and the U.S. Women’s National Soccer Team (USWNT) playing in the World Cup Finals the next day, it was almost impossible not to be in the festive spirit!

My family and I were fortunate enough to have purchased tickets to the FIFA World Cup Final months ahead, not knowing that the USWNT would be playing! So when the U.S. won the semi-final game, we were ecstatic! I had always wanted to see the National Team play, however I didn’t think the opportunity would ever present itself. Luckily, it did!

So, Sunday July 5th, we started our 3 hour road trip up to Vancouver, British Columbia. I was happy to be going to Canada, since it’s where I was born, and I haven’t been back in awhile! We made it across the border and into my homeland at about noon. We then spent the next few hours walking around the stadium area and enjoying all the World Cup festivities. I felt bad for the Japanese Team, because it was pretty much a home game for the U.S., there were U.S. fans everywhere!

International Boundary between Canada and the U.S.A.

Outside BC Place with our free Coca-Colas!

Once we got inside the stadium, the excitement began to set in. I was really at the World Cup Finals!! Our seats were located behind one of the goals, and we were sitting near the rowdy folks. This group of people are called The Outlaws, and they travel all around supporting U.S. Soccer. It was a lot of fun to be surrounded by them at one of the most iconic women’s soccer events!

The view from our seats

Who wouldn’t take a selfie at the World Cup?

The American Outlaws

Of course, because it was a final game, and Japan is a good team, I thought the game was going to be close. However, within the first few minutes the U.S. was already up by three goals! It was almost like a miracle. The atmosphere was incredible after that. I would get chills every time the crowd would chant for the U.S.. It was so crazy to be in a different country, but the whole stadium was cheering for the U.S. What a day for U.S. women’s soccer!! At the end of the game, when the entire team ran onto the field as the crowd was going wild, it felt like a scene from a really good sports movie. The players grabbed American flags and started running around thanking and waving at the fans. It was incredible.

The mascot of the FIFA Women’s World Cup Canada

We met Internet-famous @Soccergrlprobs at half-time!

The USWNT celebrating on stage after the game

I feel so blessed that I was able to attend the game. My dream of going to a World Cup was checked off, and in the best possible way. It is an experience I will remember for the rest of my life, and I’m so happy I got to be a part of such a wonderful day in the soccer world.

Until next time,

Lindsey

Let Freedom Ring: Independence Day Weekend Activities

Posted on July 8, 2015 by Lindsey

Although I have been working non-stop this summer, I did take a break last weekend to enjoy myself. I was fortunate to have a Friday off, so I decided to take a road trip to the Nike Employee Store in Beaverton, Oregon. A few friends and I piled into a car and started our journey bright and early. We shared many laughs along the way and made it to Portland in what felt like no time at all!

I have a travel philosophy, which is that while you’re traveling, you should never eat at a restaurant that you could eat at while at home. So, of course, we looked up some of the best local restaurants in Portland. We ended up stumbling upon a small BBQ restaurant, which made some of the best pulled pork I’ve ever had.

After our appetites were satisfied, it was time to do some major shopping. I had been to the Nike Employee Store once before, however, never as an official Nike employee. The rule is you can only get into the store if you have a pass from a Nike employee. The exclusivity, in my opinion, makes it more exciting when you get the chance to shop there. The best thing about the Employee Store is that almost everything is 50% off. The bad thing about this is that you can do some major damage to your bank account in a short time, while still believing you’re saving money.

Once we had shopped for about an hour and we had grabbed all the Nike product we could, we journeyed back home. Not only was it a great shopping experience, it was awesome to spend some quality time with friends and family on the road!

The next day, July 4th, is one of my favorite holidays of the year (even though I’m Canadian)! I love all of the parties, fireworks, and pride that Independence Day brings. Where I live, we spend the 4th of July by the lake. This year was the perfect weather for a good BBQ and fireworks show. Because we didn’t get to light off any fireworks this year, at the end of the night, my friends and I went out to the lake to watch other people’s fireworks displays. Almost every house on the lake was lighting off their own fireworks, along with the professional show put on by my neighborhood. The night of July 4th is always one of the highlights of my summer, just because of the happiness and pride it brings to everyone.

The beginning of my Independence Day weekend was one for the books, however July 5, 2015 was a day I will remember for the rest of my life. Find out why in my next blog post!

Until next time,

Lindsey

An Aviation Summer

Posted on June 15, 2015 by Lindsey

These past few weeks have been nothing but busy. Between my internship at the Port of Seattle, working evenings and weekends at Nike, sleep, and trying to have a social life, I have become exhausted!

Since work consumes most of my summer, I’ll update you on how it is going. This past week at the Port of Seattle I have had the opportunity to do some pretty awesome things! The center runway at Sea-Tac (16C/34C) is being replaced this summer. One day we took a bus out on the airfield to observe the construction. It amazed me how deep the concrete has to be to support all of the stress that is put on a runway. It’s about 4 feet thick of concrete! After the tour, we stopped and got out of the bus to watch planes land and take off. We ended up watching for about 10 minutes. It’s amazing to be standing only 10 feet from a runway on which a A330 is taking off!

Southwest ready to take off on 16L

View from the Penthouse of the Airport Office Building. Looking over the South Satellite and a Delta A330.

Alaska Airlines ready to take off on 16L

China Airlines Cargo 747 being loaded with cherries to take to China

Later this week we were able to go tour the FAA Air Traffic Control Tower at Sea-Tac. The experience was one that not many people get to have, since the towers are highly secured. From the tower we could see downtown Seattle, Mt. Rainier, and the Olympic Mountains. We also got to walk on the balcony outside of the tower to take some pictures of aircraft and the airport. It was interesting to watch Air Traffic Controllers in action, instead of just hearing them over the radios.

Southbound view of Sea-Tac from the ATCT

My other job, at Nike, is a part-time seasonal job that I picked up for the summer. I have enjoyed working there more than I ever thought I would. The atmosphere and the people at Nike are amazing. I have had the chance to work in all different sections of the store, however Women’s and Kid’s Apparel is my favorite section. The only negative to working at Nike is that most of my paycheck goes back to the company, because I buy Nike shoes and apparel all the time now!!!

When I’m not at work, I try to do something that I haven’t done before. One day David and I took a trip up to Paine Field to go to the Boeing Factory Tour. It was incredible to see how big the building is!! I loved getting to see 777’s, 787’s, and 767’s being built and painted.

Standing at Paine Field with the Boeing Factory and flight line in the background.

I am so happy that I have the opportunity to fill my summer with aviation. At the start of my freshman year at Riddle, I never would’ve imagined myself working at an airport, let alone the fastest growing airport in North America! It has been truly a blessing and I am looking forward to what else this summer will bring!

Until next time,

Lindsey

Working Woman

Posted on June 8, 2015 by Lindsey

As summer in Washington is just starting to heat up, I have begun working 24/7 (at least it feels like it). I recently started my internship with the Port of Seattle at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport. I am the Aviation Operations Intern for the summer! I was so surprised to find out I received the internship, since I had only just finished my freshman year of college.

Starting out, I wasn’t really sure what to expect of this internship. All I knew was it was at Sea-Tac and that I would be working for Airport Operations. After working at the Port for two weeks now, I can say day-to-day, you never really know what to expect. Working in Ops at an airport is unpredictable. One day’s tasks are completely different from the next day’s. This is what I have come to love about Airport Ops. It is part of my job to go and walk around the terminal and the airfield (and who wouldn’t love that?!). Through this internship, I am getting a hands-on approach to aviation.

My office!

In my short time on the job, I have toured almost every inch of the terminal and airfield. What is especially interesting about interning at Sea-Tac right now is all of the expansions and growth. The center runway is currently under construction because it is being repaved, Sea-Tac is experiencing record high growth rates and passenger loads, and it is during peak travel season. So, there is a lot going on.

I was able to complete wildlife training the other day. It consists of learning how to capture, harass, and transport wildlife on airport property. I was able to practice shooting off pyrotechnics, shoot a net gun, and do shotgun training. I never imagined myself doing shotgun training when I received this internship. It just goes to show you, airport operations can never be predicted day-to-day!

Getting ready to do shotgun training

The link below is a video of my first shot in the shotgun training!

IMG_1180

I also have been able to tour the entire airfield, bag well, fire station, terminal, music and art programs, security center, and dispatch centers. Before I started this internship, I had no idea the huge amount of components there are in daily airport operations. As passengers, we have the slightest idea of what really goes on behind the scenes in an airport!

One day, one of the Ops employees and myself drove out under the approach lights for the runway, and stood there as planes flew right over our heads. It was crazy to watch 737’s, 757’s, and even a few 747’s fly right over where I was standing. I never realized how big of machines they were until I was standing, head tilted back, ears ringing, underneath a Boeing aircraft flying over me.It is simply amazing the power, precision, and efficiency of modern day aircraft.

South Satellite (AKA International Terminal)

I am so thankful for this internship opportunity. I have learned more in two weeks than I ever thought I would, and I will continue to learn throughout the rest of the summer. At this job, everyday I am reminded why aviation is my passion and why it is so important in the world today.

In closing, I’ll leave a few photos of aircraft!

Until next time,

Lindsey

My Life @ Riddle

Daytona Beach Edition

Author Archives: Lindsey

About Lindsey

Senior

The End of the Semester is Approaching… Bring on the Stress

Why Riddle?

Fall Break in Boston

Traveling the U.S. with ERAU

August Overview

Flying high over WA State

USA, USA, USA!

Let Freedom Ring: Independence Day Weekend Activities

An Aviation Summer

Working Woman