Summer @ SNC, Part 2: Never Forgetting the Good Times!

Posted on August 30, 2022 by Carly

I hope I don’t see snow again soon.

I don’t know about you, but my summer went pretty well! I spent most of it in the Denver, Colorado area, working as a Systems Engineering Intern for Sierra Nevada Corporation. The internship was super cool and it’s an excellent way for me to make my first step into the aerospace industry, and I am grateful to everyone who helped me along the way. (If you’re interested in how I got to SNC- it’s here!)

I liked the flexibility I had on the job. I worked 40 hours per week, but the hours were flexible within a reasonable time period- some people liked to start their day at 7 AM while others preferred to start around 8 or 8:30. Some people took lunch breaks; others worked while they ate lunch. In addition, it was completely different from the retail jobs I’ve had no one was walking around the intern room making sure that we were on task. We were treated like responsible adults.

I learned a lot over the three months I was there, and I made some new friends! However, Denver is no Daytona Beach- it snowed on the second Friday in a freak snowstorm. I mostly stayed inside that weekend, since my roommate had just moved in. But the week after was Memorial Day weekend, so I had a three-day weekend.

A few of the other interns and I decided that we’d want to go hiking. It sounded fun to me- the trail was about four miles round-trip, and it was only an hour and a half away from my Airbnb.

Unfortunately, we ran into some snow and I had not yet bought proper hiking boots, so I ended up sliding down a small snowbank in my leggings and horrible hiking shoes. I didn’t end up making it to the top because of the snow- the hike was at a pretty high elevation, and my flats were not doing very well. I still found the hike worthwhile, I got to get to know my fellow interns and enjoy a walk through nature.

Over the summer I only ended up doing one other hike, this time at Red Rocks trail. By then I had adequate hiking shoes, and that hike was also during the heat of the summer. The view was breathtaking, but we had to leave after a few minutes since we heard thunder. Throughout the summer, the other interns did a lot of hikes, including a 14,000-foot mountain. That, to me, is dedication.

What else did I do? Whatever else I wanted.

For a lot of the summer, I mostly hung out around my Airbnb. I had a roommate, who I met online, and the Airbnb was fully furnished and came with dishes and utensils. It was perfect for a summer internship- it even came with a dog! We lived in a family’s basement, and it was great since they had anything we needed (such as a rice cooker), so I didn’t need to buy plastic utensils for the summer or worry about finding a three-month apartment lease.

Like a full-time employee, I was free to do whatever I wanted on my days off. For example. over the Fourth of July weekend, I ended up visiting one of my friends in Santa Barbara on a direct flight from Denver. I flew out on a Friday evening and came back on Monday, which we had off since it was the Fourth of July.

While on that visit, we ended up driving to Solvang and Buellton, which are both in the valley. Buellton is known for Ostrichland, USA, where tourists can feed a bunch of ostriches and emus. I’d never really seen an ostrich up close, but once I did, I realized just how huge they are. I know they’re flightless birds, but I hope I never see an ostrich run after me.

I also attended two Rockies games with my friends! I’m not a huge sports fan, but in my opinion, baseball games are a good place to hang out. Yes, people can actually watch the game, but people who aren’t as into the spot can walk around the stadium and explore. The Rockies stadium had three levels, and the view from the top one was breathtaking. I even spotted a few flights.

Near the end of the summer, I ended up visiting the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo in Colorado Springs, which is an hour south of the Denver area. The zoo is quite literally built on a mountain, but I think it was a better choice than the Denver zoo since you get to interact with the animals a little more. I fed giraffes, watched wallabies freely run around the Australia exhibit, and saw plenty of big cats lying in the sun. It was a great experience, and I was glad I got the chance to experience it.

I loved my time in Denver with Sierra Nevada Corporation and am extremely thankful to everyone who helped me along the way. I highly recommend getting an internship. Not only does it give you the chance to experience the real engineering world, but it also gives you a chance to see what you’re doing with your degree. I’ll be honest, in some of my classes, I felt like some of the example problems weren’t directly related to my future career. However, I see how the concepts are applied to the real engineering world, even if not in my area of interning. For example, my roommate was a structural engineering intern, and the concepts I learned in solid mechanics applied to her internship. Talking to other interns was a good way to get to know everyone and learn about what disciplines would be for me.

While I miss SNC, it feels good to be home at Embry-Riddle. Classes have just started, and I’m excited to see what I’ll learn this semester. I’ll see you in the next post… and hopefully at Riddle!

#meetRiddleAlumni

Posted on April 15, 2020 by Alumni

Embry-Riddle’s reputation for leading the aviation and aerospace industry is recognized worldwide. There’s also a lot of creative talent among Riddle alumni, and some gifted grads are garnering a good deal of attention on social media. If you’re looking for interesting sites to follow, check these out – featuring photography, inspiration and laughs!

Lonnie Marts III
Lonnie is not a typical ERAU student, but his ability to connect and engage those around him has been evident throughout his time as a student – and now on his channels. Buzzfeed recently published a write-up on Lonnie’s efforts and he’s reached one million plus followers on his TikTok account.

Lonnie’s first passion has been athletics, and he came to the Daytona Campus to compete in track and field. He earned his undergraduate degree in Human Factors Psychology and then went on to earn an MBA through the accelerated program. His goal of succeeding in the digital world is well underway!

You can also see Lonnie’s work on his YouTube Channel, and check out the university video featuring Lonnie.

Lynsey Schroeder

Lynsey began blogging as a student shortly after arriving at Embry-Riddle’s Daytona Beach campus where she studied Engineering Physics. Why did she choose to attend ERAU? She summed it up well: “Its reputation, specialty and community.” In her student blog she shared her passion for science, love of music and experience interning with the SETI Institute where the search for extraterrestrial intelligence is the mission. Spoiler alert! No extraterrestrials were discovered. She also recalls the time National Geographic visited the Daytona Campus to film “Evacuate Earth,” a doomsday scenario with a plan to save the human race. Of course Embry-Riddle was the perfect place to serve as the base for developing the technologies that would carry humans to safety.

She earned both a bachelor’s and a master’s degree through the accelerated program. In 2014, Lynsey was recognized by Aviation Week & Space Technology as one of “Tomorrow’s Emerging Leaders: 20 in their 20s.” Now she works for Raytheon on Arizona where she really can’t tell us too much about her work – we’d need security clearance for that! But she does still share her talent and passion for photography and her photos are truly breathtaking! Her specialty is the night sky over the desert, she’d particularly adept at capturing images of the Milky Way. Her time lapse of the full moon can be viewed on her Facebook page.

Or see more of her work on her website: https://lschroederphoto.com/

Nicole Stott

Embry-Riddle alumna and retired astronaut Nicole Stott can also be found inspiring people online and on campus. An advocate for the arts and STEAM – including art as an important part of STEM studies, the Nicole Stott Art Gallery at the Daytona Beach campus is named in her honor and often features work by students and staff.

Most recently, she shared advice on managing isolation from her unique experiences spending more than 100 days on the International Space Station. It’s filled with inspiration and includes valuable tips that are particularly relevant now, but it’s also a truly timeless perspective.

Watch it here.

Fresh Air, Self-Care, and School is Where?

Posted on April 13, 2020 by Brittney

The last couple of weeks have been a whirlwind of situations to overcome and conquer. The main situation: online classes. Classes for the rest of the semester are completely online and through virtual meetings. This has been an experience. All of my professors have adapted their classes very well. Some pre-recorded their class lectures and host office hours to allow students to ask questions, some are doing live class sessions over zoom, and some of my classes are very project-based so the professor is there for questions, but otherwise, our projects are all that matter. No matter what my professors have decided to do, they have all been very helpful and understanding during this process of shifting to online learning.

Rory and I getting some fresh air with the pups

Along with the online classes, I had to move off-campus. I am very lucky to have good friends from Embry-Riddle and am now residing with my friend Rory who lives in Florida. His family has invited me to stay with them on several occasions including anything from hurricane Irma that happened my freshman year to holidays I do not have a family to spend with. They are my home away from home and I am very lucky to have them.

Rory and I long boarding again with the dogs(we do this a lot)

While staying at Rory’s, we do our best to balance school work (even though we often get distracted by each other) with making sure we are both staying on top of our classwork. We are also making sure to take care of our bodies and mind. We recognize when it is time to take study breaks, eat a snack, get fresh air, and goof around a little. We have been filling our free time by playing games and long boarding with our furry friends.

Overall, online classes and the entire COVID-19 situation is a little overwhelming, but knowing I have the support of all of my professors, classmates, friends, and family makes the situation a lot more comforting.

Shifting to Online

Posted on March 24, 2020 by Emily

Hello everyone! I hope everyone is adjusting well to online schooling. I know that things right now are not quite ideal, but I hope that everyone is staying safe and being cautious. I’m sure that has been said and heard a thousand times, but I just wanted to reinforce it. I also want to talk about organization and ways to make sure you are keeping track in this blog, because, if you’re like me, online schooling may not be your strong suit.

I personally have had a lot of issues staying on track, staying motivated, and keeping track of my school schedule. Some professors help by doing online virtual lectures, whereas others just add more work and reading. With that, it can feel a little bit over whelming, especially of you have full-time classes and other obligations. Which brings me to the tips I want to share:

Tip #1: Stick to Your Schedule

Try to focus on your classes at the corresponding times you would’ve met up with them in person. This is the main thing that’s been really helping me stay on track and stay motivated. With Monday, Wednesday, and Friday being my long days with 4 classes each an hour long, I have been able to really get my work done and get through the slides and reading that those professors left for me to read and review. Because I have been using this method to do my work, I have been able to stop about the same time I stop school on campus and carry out the rest of my day to do whatever.

Tip #2: Put it in Your Planner

My next tip is to use a planner. Most professors have changed up their learning plan and have adjusted schedules. In order to keep track of the new work and dates I suggest recording them or finding a method that suits you to keep track. Whether that means a planner on your phone, a calendar, or printing the syllabus. This way you don’t confuse yourself or forget about tests or assignments without the professor reminding us when our next test is or when that final paper is due.

Tip #3: Create Your Space

As far as staying motivated and focused go, I would advise sitting at a desk or a table of some sort that’s well-lit and devoted to work. Try not to lay in bed to do your work and school, believe me I have tried. The difference between working at a desk in a chair instead of lounging in bed is huge and works wonders for your brain. This is partly because of a psychological aspect. Typically, when you’re in bed, your mind associates that to sleeping or relaxing, I promise it just makes you a little lazier than your need to be.

Tip #4: Don’t Panic – Manage Your Stress

My final tip to everyone is not to stress or panic. I know we are in crazy times and that the work load of online schooling is more then we all bargained for, but if you take my advice and dedicate times of the day to your classes, the stress will not be as bad. Wake up every morning, eat some breakfast and get to work with your classes as if you were going to classes in person. As soon as you’re finished for the day just relax. Watch a movie, chef it up in the kitchen, exercise, call a friend or read a book. Do whatever you need to during this hard time, try to keep things as normal as possible and focus on the future.

Thanksgiving Season

Posted on December 5, 2019 by Brittney

It is this time of year that always gives me the extra reminder of what I am thankful for, and this year I am especially thankful for my Housing and Residence Life (HRL) family.

This Thanksgiving, I was on duty as a Resident Advisor (RA) for a majority of the break, meaning I cannot leave campus and must respond to calls as needed. As much as it was not pleasant to be away from my family for the holiday, everyone in HRL is amazing and truly a second family that I got to spend some time with this year.

Staff participating in seasonal activities

This Thanksgiving one of our HRL supervisors organized a Thanksgiving meal for all the RAs that were not able to go home. We had a turkey and stuffing and we all brought our favorite holiday dishes to share. It was an amazing time and reminded me how thankful I am for the people I work with and the friends I have made throughout my time on HRL staff. Thanksgiving marks about a year since I have been hired on staff and my life has changed a lot since I joined my second family. Everyone in Housing and Residence Life is always so supportive and willing to help. I have had the honor of getting to know the new professional staff members this year and they are all amazing and ready to lend a hand with any issues you could possibly have. In addition, I have made an abundance of friends that I enjoy working with every day.

Thanksgiving is a great time to remember the little things in life that we may tend to take for granted, and I am very thankful of my home away from home and all of my school mates I spend every day with. I am very thankful for this school and everything it has brought me.

I hope everyone else had an amazing Thanksgiving, too.

The Entertainment’s Here

Posted on November 27, 2019 by Brittney

What a wild few weeks it has been at Embry-Riddle.

In the middle of everything going on here at Riddle, we recently had the honor of the band AJR coming and performing a belated, but rocking, homecoming show. We were all ready for this show. Before AJR, came on the preshow was performed by the Mowgli’s, and they put on an amazing performance to get us ready to hear the main act. AJR came and burned the house down with their set which was the perfect combination of popular hits and songs from their new album Neotheater. Not only did they perform an amazing set but everyone at Riddle was so excited to be there and take a break from the everyday stresses of college. We all went and hung out together listening to some great music. We had avid AJR fans with hats and T-shirts, and someone even made signs to get the band to attempt a backflip. My friends and I had a great time, and even though it was a little cold out, it was a beautiful night that ended with amazing fireworks as AJR did their finale.

After the concert, many people stuck around just to hang, Touch N Go Productions was handing out free t-shirts. My friends and I had a blast spending time together we otherwise wouldn’t have spent together, and after the concert scene had settled down, the campus was crazy with students having fun playing volleyball and hanging out.

Now that we had our fun, it is time to crack down to get these final projects down and our brains in tip-top shape to do the best we can on our finals. Can’t wait to see how well everyone does this finals season and soon we will have the holidays to look forward to!

Spooky Season

Posted on October 3, 2019 by Kyara

Today commences the beginning of spooky season. That time of year filled with ghouls, goblins, monsters, and impending due dates for assignments/ midterms. With all of these stress inducing things, many struggle trying to find a way to get by, but don’t you worry. I am here with simple solutions and actions I take to make the time run smoother.

Pro-Tip #1:

Going to the Beach

Living in Daytona Beach, we all take the second part of our city name for granted. The beach is clinically proven to wash away even the biggest problems, …don’t look that up.

Getting out of your dorm/housing and straight into nature provides an amazing chance to just breathe and appreciate all that’s around. You can watch the sunrise over the horizon, watch the sunset, bird watch, or even star gaze. The options are endless, but the end goal is to take a moment to breathe, regroup, and then approach studying or what not with a clear mind.

Pro Tip #2:

A Rewarding Snack

For some, a nice treat can make their day, and who are you to deprive yourself from treating YOURSELF. If you can’t go out, or bake in your home, you could always make a mug cake/brownie. Pinterest is full of amazing recipes that are friendly to anyone’s personal diet (or you could make a trip to Wal-mart for their mug cake). I also recommend Cow Licks next to the shore, off of S Atlantic Avenue. The price and flavor are totally worth the drive or Uber.

Pro Tip #3:

Relax the Best Way that Fits YOU

Regardless of what other people tell you, you know what works best for you. If leaving the dorm or room causes you even more stress, then allot some time to watch a show or a short YouTube clip as your breather. Or if physical activity helps you clear your mind, take a jog or go to the gym, which is open from 6 am to 11 pm on Mondays – Fridays and 10 am to 9 pm on Saturday – Sundays. As long as what you do to unwind is safe and healthy for you and those around you then by all means do it.

The semester may bring pressures but small moments of self care helps to move along those tough times and make them brighter!

And that’s the tea. Until next time!

First Day & Fall Semester

Posted on August 27, 2019 by Merrick

Happy August folks! I’m currently blogging from Daytona Beach back in my on campus RA dorm in lovely humidity, afternoon rain, and sunshine. Orientation week has officially concluded, Fall Semester has kicked off, my residents have moved in, and my voice is almost gone (yes, before AFROTC has even started…it’s going to be a fun week).

Orientation Team Family Photo from our yearly retreat!

I arrived to campus almost a month early for training and in preparation for the school year to start and it’s here! Similar to a holiday in the anticipation aspect, but with a bittersweet aftertaste because I can already sense the year will be a busy one. This semester my schedule consists of Air Force Leadership Laboratories and Physical Training sessions, Air Force class, Compressible Aerodynamics, Advanced Engineering Math I (also known as Math Methods Engineering and Physics I), Technical Report Writing, Incompressible Aerodynamics, and an Independent Study of third year level Arabic, plus Resident Advisor duty days, and a plethora of various meetings.

My building’s Resident Advisor Staff Family Photo!

This year will surely be jam packed, but I started off my first day of the semester going for a run in the morning and I’m determined to make this one of my best semesters. For those of you that have read a couple of my blogs you probably know this already, but I like lists. I typically categorize my days in the notes app on my phone and go from start to finish with classes, homework, working out, free time, meetings, chores/errands, and pretty much all of my other responsibilities. If I do anything in my day, there is approximately a 93% chance it was on my to do list and I have checked it off once its finished.

If you ever need help with the looming task of time management and you have found yourself reading this, I offer you two pieces of advice: first prioritize, and second make yourself a daily schedule and cross-off everything you accomplish. I find this to be extremely helpful and it keeps me in a good mood because I love seeing my to-do list shrink and I love once I get done with my homework being about to have blocked off time for self care. Having time to relax is my favorite.

Speaking of relaxing, I am currently reminiscing of hiking in Arizona over the summer so here is a very happy me sitting on a mountain.

As a closing note, shoutout to the girl I met on the elevator in my Residence Hall who recognized me and warmed my heart telling me that my blogs remind her of how she journals. You rock.

Will report back soon y’all, once we are fully submerged in September. Full speed ahead!

Making Orientation Fun

Posted on August 5, 2019 by Rajan

Every year, we welcome a new freshman class to our campus. Their first impression of campus life has to be good, and our peers who run the Orientation Team make sure of that. In addition to O-Team running orientation, the SGA and Housing & Res. Life assist in the events during that fun week. Something new for this year that I have the pleasure of working on is the big welcome video that the freshmen will see at the Welcome Ceremony. I had a blast filming and editing it. I had some assistance from ERAU Marketing (thank you!). It’s been a blast working on videos for the SGA and SESU departments on campus and I hope to make many more in the future! I hope to see all you new freshmen at the Welcome!

Tips & Tricks

Posted on December 7, 2018 by Emily

As we all know, it’s the last weeks of the semester and that means FINALS! And, just simply trying to bring up your grades. But I feel like, as college students, we shouldn’t over stress ourselves the way we do. Sometimes taking time to relax is the best thing we can do because when you’re pulling all-nighters to study and cram in information the last few days, you will fry your brain. This was something I had to learn coming into college, as someone who has grown up with major anxiety, dealing with and handling the stress that comes from it has been something I had to learn. So, take from a master of sorts and maybe my advice will help someone out.

Study and break- Obviously you should study for your tests and classes, but don’t overdo. Don’t spend 2 hours in a row studying, take small breaks in between, take your time, and don’t fry your brain.
NO ALL-NIGHTERS! All-Nighters are not good for your health. It is very beneficial to you to get a good night’s sleep before a test and class. Your performance will suffer because your brain has not gotten the full recommended amount of rest. I know from personal experience that when I get a full beautiful rest, I realize I’m more aware, more refreshed, and just all around feel good.
Eat breakfast or a meal before your exam. This seems obvious, but I promise that being hungry during a test is not fun and can result in your feeling sick and will distract you.
Don’t study the day of. Cramming before an exam is not the best idea for your head because again you will fry your brain before you even go and take your test. The best thing to do is go to class and be prepared and with a fresh brain. This was some advice that my Math professor gave me and, so far, it helped me out so much. This may not be for everyone, but it can sure help some people who know the info but just is a over stresser.
Don’t over think it. Even if you’re worried about a test, the worst thing you can do is panic and over think.

Stress is something that we can all manage, and it can be quite easy to do with a little effort and self-awareness. Before a test or something big, it’s important to your mental health to treat yourself while you’re working hard. Relax, take a breather, and do something you love to do. This depends on the person, but here are some things I suggest doing that help me:

Art! I love to mindlessly paint, sitting back and just doing random drawing patterns, and of course editing my photos. This may not be for everyone, but it really does help me a lot.

Watch a movie! Unwind with a good movie, whether that be at the Theater or Netflix on your laptop. This is a great way to unravel, to escape and let your mind wander into and enjoy a movie. On campus, Touch ‘N Go (our schools entertainment coordinators pretty much) does free movie showings just about every week, and sometimes they do them outside on a big screen for all to see and enjoy.

And lastly, I would say spend time doing something fun with a friend. Having a good friend to just help you take some stuff off your mind and to just laugh and hang out is such a good way to relive some stress.

Hope this helps you to have stress-free finals and a stress-free holiday!

My Life @ Riddle

Daytona Beach Edition

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