Category Archives: 2024 – 2025

Checklist Complete: Internship Season Begins

Posted on by
Reply

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.

Sourdough Loaf

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!

So long and thanks for all the fish

Posted on by
Reply

To quote Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, so long and thanks for all the fish!
On May 6th, I will walk across the stage and graduate with my M.S. Systems Engineering degree, ending my time here at ERAU.
Last year, I graduated with my B.S. Engineering Physics degree with a concentration in Spacecraft Instrumentation and minors in Applied Mathematics and Electrical & Computer Engineering.

My time at ERAU has taught me a lot through many challenges, those good and those more…character-building. Over everything, it has truly developed me into the person that I am today. My advice for those still at ERAU is to pursue your dreams/passions with every ounce of effort that you can give, take care of your mental and physical health, and stand up for what you truly believe in and what is right. At the end of the day, you are the only one that has to live with yourself. During graduation, looking back on your time here and being proud of every decision and action that you have made is the best feeling in the world.

Godspeed to all those heading towards graduation. Here’s to the ones that dream 🥂

A Busy End to Sophomore Year

Posted on by
Reply

Hey everyone! As the spring semester comes to a close I wanted to take a moment to introduce myself. My name is Dominic Popolo and I am a Communications Major with a track in Broadcast Meteorology and a minor in Emergency Management. I recently completed my second year at Embry-Riddle, which is crazy because it feels like I just started! I guess time just flies like that.

A picture of me in New York City last August!

This past week was probably the busiest I’ve had all semester. Between banquets, finishing up projects, presentations, and more, it has been a marathon. As stressful as it was, it was also super fun and rewarding.

My week kicked off on Easter Sunday, when my friends and I drove up to Matanzas Inlet to have one last beach day of the semester. I definitely enjoyed soaking up some sun before I return home to New Jersey, where it won’t quite be beach weather yet. The sun was definitely a little harsh and I got a little sunburnt, but I still had a blast!

Life is better in Flagler!
Ocean fun at Matanzas Inlet!
It was a nice Easter Sunday at the beach!

Tuesday started off with my final presentation in my Thunderstorms class about the March 25, 2023 tornado outbreak. My partner Reagan and I had been practicing all weekend for this presentation, and we were able to successfully give all the information about the severe weather event in the allotted time. It was definitely a stress reliever to complete the presentation.

That night, I had the annual end of the year meteorology banquet, where we celebrated the accomplishments of both the Meteorology Department and the American Meteorological Society / National Weather Association (AMS/NWA) Chapter on campus. This banquet was a great time to get together as meteorologists on campus, eat some barbeque, and watch the annual “Professors Read Mean Evaluations” video. The executive board for AMS/NWA next year was also revealed at the banquet, and I will be serving as Secretary. I am so excited to help further the mission of the organization on campus!

The AMS/NWA Executive Board for the 2025-26 school year!

After the banquet, I went to my final Avion meeting of the semester as News Editor, where we celebrated the semester with a party and staff awards and superlatives. It was such a fun year in Avion this year, and I am so excited to continue my journey in the organization as Managing Editor next year!

My final meeting with my News Team in the Avion. News Team Best Team!!!

Thursday was another busy day. I started my day off by presenting my research project at the Humanities/Communication Research Symposium. My group researched how upperclassmen digitally market themselves to potential employers for our Communication Research Theory and Methods class. It was such an enlightening experience to be able to present our research that we have been working on all semester.

Presenting my research at the Humanities/Communication Research Symposium!

Later on Thursday, I attended the Student Government Association (SGA) End of the Year Banquet. Here, we highlighted the accomplishments of the SGA throughout the last year, and looked forward to what next year will bring. It was a great chance to spend time with my friends and celebrate our hard work throughout the year. We also got some great pictures at The Avion’s brand new photo booth!

The 2024-25 Avion Executive Board celebrating at SGA Banquet!
The Avion’s photobooth at SGA Banquet was so much fun!

With Friday came study day, and I worked an entire day in the Weather Lab tutoring students for their Introductory and Aviation weather courses. I really enjoy my job here, being able to share my weather knowledge with students from all majors to help them succeed in their classes. Starting Friday night, I also assisted with the Late Night Study Sessions in the Student Leadership Suite, handing out donuts with the Avion as a part of the SGA’s broader initiative to feed as many students up late studying during finals. We gave out 10 dozen donuts in 17 minutes, which was crazy!

Finally, my week came to a close on Saturday. After working on our final reports and projects all day, my friends and I decided to take a drive to the park at Ponce Inlet with some Taco Bell for a break from the stress of finals week. This was a nice way to end our super busy week and spend some time with each other before we all disperse for the summer. A couple of my friends are graduating this semester, and I am so sad to see them leave. But I know there will be even more friends to be made and adventures to have when I return to campus in August.

A nice night at Ponce Inlet to cap off my crazy week.

I hope you enjoyed this glimpse into my final week of Sophomore year on campus. Just know that there is much more to come over the summer and next fall! See you all soon!

Lots of Little Updates

Posted on by
Reply

I have lots of little updates for you all this week including some random pictures!
This week has been an entire whirlwind with the end of homeworks, start of exams, setting up new apartment/utilities/movers, and packing things up here.
The first two pictures here are from Landshark which is a fun and good beachside restaurant in Daytona; my friends and I go there fairly often. Their nachos and fish tacos are GREAT. If you don’t/can’t drink, you can even get a lot of their blended drinks without alcohol. The mango coconut slushie is my FAVORITE.
The third picture is the final result from my boyfriend and I’s art date at Art Rageous in Port Orange. See previous posts for details, but I think this turned out great.
The last picture is of the SLEW of poster printing that I helped with at the Office of Undergraduate Research. For all of you that do not know, I am the Graduate Assistant at OUR, and we recently hosted our Spring research symposium which is called Discovery Day. This year yielded over 200 presenters and 1500 guests!! Which also resulted in printed posters stacking up very quickly in the office haha…..

Moving Tips

Posted on by
Reply

At the end of college, many students need to figure out moving logistics to a new job in a new area on a fairly tight timeline. I am going through something similar right now and thought a list of good questions to ask a moving company would help a lot of people. I do want to preface this with the fact that I am not an expert, just another student who has gone through/is going through this process and would have loved to have this information sooner.

  • What is the address of the moving company along with other contact information?
    • This helps to prove that they are a legit company. There are a lot of scammers out there.
  • Who (get specific names and personal contact info) do I call if there are any questions or troubles during the move?
  • Are you all the moving brokers or the actual carriers?
    • Moving brokers are a pain to deal with and can actually cost you a lot more for no reason. They just coordinate and charge you fees for it while hiring another separate moving company which may also overcharge you.
    • Make sure to confirm that it will be their movers, moving van with decal, etc. showing up on pickup and delivery days.
  • What is insurance like for items (and cars, if applicable)?
    • They may have some basic 60 cent/lb coverage and then charge you a few hundred for extra coverage which is usually worth it. Cars usually get full coverage.
  • Get an emailed, itemized list in writing.
    • Also ask how the price will vary if you happen to have more or less boxes than initially planned.
  • Understand the pickup and dropoff windows around your requested time/day.
  • Make sure to understand all fees and services including packing materials, packing, walking more than 75 ft, using stairs, using an elevator, etc.
  • Are the drivers (of the items and/or car(s)) fully insured and background checked?
  • If applicable, check if the car(s) will be shipped with an outside trailer or enclosed. The pricing will be different for each.
  • Understand the security measures of your items.
    • Many people need them to store things for at least a few days before delivery.
    • Where will my items be stored? Is it climate-controlled? Who has access? How is the security? Are there locks and where? What is the material of my pod/vault?
  • What is the schedule for payments and how do I pay?
    • Many companies will have you give them a deposit which will be used towards the final cost. Then, you pay half after pickup/packing is done and the other half right before delivery.
  • Figure out how they will load things into your new home or apartment.
    • Many apartment areas may have a loading dock in a parking garage or no designated area at all. Figure out what the movers will be working with and if it will incur any additional fees.

Some More Local Activities

Posted on by
Reply

While trying to plan the big move and such, we have discovered some new local activities!
In Winter Park, they had a duck derby! Which I admit, looked to be mostly for kids, but my boyfriend and I had a ton of fun. They had fresh coconuts, you could decorate and race your duck, there were little crafts table; it was great. Then, we went to Zaru for dinner in Mills50 district which had amazing fresh udon noodles and tempura.
More locally, we took a sunset beach walk, collected shells, and took pictures of jellyfish! Highly recommend downloading the Volusia beaches app that gives you information such as a live map of which beach entrances are open to vehicles and/or people.

Job Announcement!

Posted on by
Reply

I am THRILLED to announce that after graduation I will be moving to LA and starting work as a Reliability Engineering II at Vast! Vast is building the next space station and moving towards artificial gravity technology. Their missions and technology excite me so much, and I am counting down the days until I start!
This May, I will be graduating with a degree of M.S. Systems Engineering with a concentration in Engineering Management.
Here are some Vast media and pictures taken recently for the job/graduation announcement 🙂

Job Setup: Things to Consider

Posted on by
Reply

So, I am in the process of deciding between some job offers with good news to be announced publicly soon! However, I thought a list of things to consider when setting up a job and life for yourself after graduation may be super useful for some people. Keep in mind, this list is just what I have encountered thus far; I am still learning the process myself.

  • Job Benefits & Pay
    • What will your job cover? Insurance, relocation stipend, etc.
    • How much are you paid (yearly, biweekly, taxes, etc.)
    • This is going to help you plan the rest of these bullet points.
  • Housing
    • Start to research areas you like and reasonable price ranges for you
    • Make sure you know and are comfortable with your commute time
  • Budget
    • Think about setting up a monthly budget. This will help you have enough money for things like rent, food, and savings but also allow you to have some guilt-free fun money.
    • Make sure that you have a budget plan for getting set up at your new location (moving money, transportation money, first deposit on a place, etc.).
  • Moving
    • How/when are you getting to your new housing location? How are you moving all of your stuff and who is helping you?
  • General Timeline
    • If you have some time between your graduation and job start date, how do you want to spend that time? Relaxing, vacation, family, friends, etc.
  • Transportation
    • How are you getting around your new city/area and to/from work? Is the public transportation clean and safe enough at the times of days you may use it? Is your car going to fit in the majority of parking garages and spaces? Is there parking at your job?
  • Get Excited!!
    • Start to plan some weekend adventures for when you get there! The beautiful thing about full-time work is that you will (hopefully) get some more work/life balance time for things like exploring your area with friends. Start researching things that you are looking forward to doing (state parks, bike paths, farmers markets, etc.).

pov: My 2025 Spring Break in Daytona Beach, FL

Posted on by
Reply

It’s Spring Break and you know what that means for a graduate student – more work! I don’t get a break these days, but I make sure to have fun every once in a while. I got the opportunity to visit the Daytona International Speedway for the IMSA Rolex 24 hour race! I absolutely love NASCAR and racing, and have so many memories of going to the speedway as a child. I grew up in Daytona Beach, so it was a yearly thing for my family and I to visit. Funny story: Apparently, I am so used to the sound of the cars that I fell asleep in my seat one year during the Rolex 24 hour, and everyone was wondering how in the world I was sleeping through such a loud race! I was about 6 or 7 at the time, but it was late and I guess the car engines lulled me to sleep!

I saw so many cars there – it was like a car show and race – all taking place on the infield. We had special IMSA passes that let us in certain areas. It was so cool! Of course I had to check out the Lamborghini shop and see my favorite sports cars.

I also visited the Tanger Outlets recently and stumbled upon the craft fair that was ongoing. I ended up meeting these artists that paint, and one canvas really caught my eye. I absolutely loved the rainbow bunny painting that she had on display. I ended up talking to them for 10 minutes, telling her all about my bun, Zelda. Needless to say, I left there with a new piece of art and, after I got home, she ran right up to me and loved her painting! I will be hanging this up on the wall in her “bun room.”

Taking a vacation as a graduate student is challenging but necessary. We choose to enjoy life and take many breaks when needed. We recently attended Megacon 2025 with our family friends in Orlando, FL and we had a blast! Stayed at the Hilton properties (as always) and met so many creative cosplayers and crafters. They had everything from Star Wars to Avatar to Anime. We even got to meet some popular idols in pop culture like Chris Sabat (Vegeta from Dragon Ball) and Kyle Herbert (the voice of Uncle Iroh from Avatar the Last Airbender)!

Even on Spring Break, life doesn’t stop. We are planning our wedding for July of this year and it is a LOT of work, but it has been such a fun process so far. We already had our cake tasting, photographer and honeymoon booked, and the venue deposit and food taken care of. I found a wedding cakery that is going to make a 4-tier cake and all gluten-free, with 3 different flavors: amaretto raspberry with cream cheese frosting, vanilla buttercream, and chocolate mousse cake! So relieved I can eat cake on our big day. Next up: bridal shop appointment and dinner rehearsals! We are both over the moon! Can you guess the color scheme of our ceremony based on our photos?

Believe it or not, that’s all for now. Can’t wait to share my next adventure with you happening next week. Stay tuned! Ciao!

New Semi-Local Adventure Discovery + Small Local Businesses

Posted on by
Reply

Ok! So, I want to split this blogpost into two little parts. The first will detail a little adventure with some recommendations about it. The second will detail a few local businesses that I’ve found recently around campus.

Firstly, my boyfriend and I took a little day trip to Savannah, GA the other day. I was born/raised in Florida and never knew that Savannah was THAT close or that fun!! Driving from around campus, it was only about 3 hours each way which is the perfect length for a fun road trip. We left around 7am and got home by around 11pm. The historic area is the perfect few streets to have some good food and walk around little shops. The JW Marriott on the waterfront has an enormous lobby that is open to the public where you can see tons of fossils, rocks, and other cool displays for free. You can also drive a few minutes from the historic downtown to see a few local forts, walk on the beach, see the lighthouse, or visit the marine museum/aquarium. Those attractions usually close around 4:30pm though, so I would time your activities carefully. For dinner, we went to a restaurant that was on Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives called Sea Wolf on Tybee Island. The day trip was so fun, and surprisingly not too far from Daytona! I highly recommend doing this with some friends.

Secondly, I wanted to offer a list of some local, small businesses that I’ve discovered lately for you all to support if you would like. This ranges from fun activities and fitness classes to restaurants.

  • Pho To Luv
    • Their food is the BEST Vietnamese food that I’ve had in the area. It seems to be family owned and JUST opened about one month ago. They are so nice, and their pho is my comfort meal. All the prices are super reasonable too. They are right next to the Starbucks on ISB near the high school on the corner.
  • Art Rageous
    • They have a website where you can sign up for a bunch of different art classes. My boyfriend and I made some custom glass bowls. They also have some pottery and painting classes among other things. The instructor was so nice, and it was a great way to spend an evening.
  • CORE Pilates
    • This is a smaller local Pilates studio run by a really nice lady. As a hypermobile person, I can also testify that she really knows how to modify anything if needed, even for injuries. Her classes are a ton of fun and a really good workout (plus sometimes she brings her dogs).
  • Bounce and Bang
    • This is a cute place that does things like drum and bungee fitness. It has a cool night-club vibe with the lights inside, and they do a bunch of fun fitness classes throughout the week. This is a great way to do a little cardio with a fun spin, and the people are really kind.
  • Don Giovanni’s
    • This is a semi-local Italian place. They have 2 locations, one in Port Orange and one in Ormond I think. I go to the one in Port Orange which seems to be run by a family. Their food is SO GOOD, and the people the work there are fun and extremely nice. I come here super often with my family.
  • Beauty Lounge
    • I go here to get my nails done (highly recommend getting luminary gel). I personally go to Milan, but all of the people here are extremely good at what they do. This place is right next door to Home Depot on ISB, and they even have a little cafe next door that you can order from while you get your nails done.