I’m done with my undergraduate degree! A part of me still can’t believe that I’m already done and I don’t think the reality will hit me until I walk across the stage and accept my diploma! Some of my friends in the past have decorated their graduation caps and I want to decorate mine, but I’m having trouble deciding what message or picture I want to put up there. One thing I do know is that it will be done with rhinestones for the full bling effect! My finals went really well and I know for sure that I got an A in two of my classes. I’m still waiting on my final grades for my master’s classes but I’ve got a feeling that those went well too.
Two weeks ago, I found out my Air Force job and upon entering active duty I will become an Acquisitions Officer. I’m pretty excited about it and I’ve had a lot of people tell me that it’s a very marketable career field outside of the Air Force. You may be wondering what an Acquisitions Officer even does. Well from what I’ve read, I’ll be in charge of a program and making sure that small parts of that program are completed on time, have the proper funding, and fit into the bigger program. I’m not sure where I will be stationed yet, but I did have to submit a list of my top six base choices from a predetermined list. My first choice was Colorado because I have always wanted to live out west. I think I will find out in September where I’m going to end up.
Later today, I will be on a plane headed for home and I’m so excited! I’m looking forward to seeing some of my family and the cornfields. Three years ago when I left home, I never thought I would miss it as much as I do sometimes. I’m looking forward to the road trip back to Florida with my sister! I think it will be an adventure to remember! When I get back to Florida, I will move into my new apartment, go through the graduation ceremony and say goodbye to some of my friends, then start summer classes. My prediction is that this summer will be just as busy as this past semester, but that’s the way I like it!
I’ve enjoyed telling you about my experiences throughout the year here at Embry-Riddle! I hope that I helped answer some of your questions about Embry-Riddle or college life in general. I’m looking forward to spending one more year here before I enter the Air Force. Good luck with all of your endeavors!
Until next time,
Kaleigh
I’ve received many comments and made many connections while writing to you about my first-year experiences.
Sneak Preview day is coming up this weekend (4/24/10) and I will be there to cover the event for our newspaper, The Avion. If you see me feel, free to stop and chat.
Most recently, this past weekend (4/17-4/18) was the annual Sun ‘N Fun air show in Lakeland, Florida. On display were static aircraft, which were mostly the same airplanes from the AOPA AirportFest, however there were a few I haven’t seen before. In addition, there were exhibits in the hangers which consisted of representatives from King Schools, Garmin, and Beechcraft. My friends and I stayed overnight in town and returned late Sunday night.
This is one of my favorite quotes because it reminds me to be happy every moment and, while this isn’t always possible, I wish it were. My birthday was this month and I had a great time celebrating and hope that the year to come is just as wonderful as the last. Some reasons to be happy: I picked up my cap and gown, I’m going home for a few days before graduation, and school is almost over! Of course, this month has had its moments that weren’t the greatest, but that just made me realize how great my family is. Going to college over a thousand miles away from home and everyone I knew hasn’t always been easy, but everyone is just a phone call away!
Graduation is fast approaching! I’m happy that I will be able to fulfill another dream of mine when I walk across the stage! Classes are starting the process of winding down, which means projects are coming due and the last test is approaching. I’ve lucked out and for the first semester since I have been at ERAU I don’t have any finals during finals week because they are all taking place the last week of classes. For this reason, I’m able to fly home for two days and then make the road trip back to Florida with my mom and sister. I know that I won’t be home for long but it will be nice to breathe in the Illinois air for a day or two! There is just something special about the smell of corn and soybeans growing in the fields. Most of my projects that are coming due are group projects and the hard part with those is trying to find a time when everyone can meet. Lately, we have decided to do sort of an open house meeting where some people leave early and some come late. It’s hard to keep everyone up to date, but we have found that it’s the only method that will work for now!
This past weekend I attended Air Force Dining Out, which is basically a dinner and the celebration of another year completed. We all get dressed up in our service dress, eat dinner, watch a video of the year in review, have an award presentation, and then the announcement of next semester’s cadet wing leadership positions. I had a good time and enjoyed spending the evening with some of my friends. The rumor was that I along with others would be finding out our AFSCs (Air Force jobs), but it didn’t happen. So, we are now supposed to find out on Monday…guess I’ll just have to be patient and keep waiting, which is easier said than done! Next journal entry, I’ll be able to let you know what job I will be doing in the future.
There is no better way to wake up on a Monday morning than with a shuttle launch in your own backyard. Space shuttle Discovery blasted its way into orbit on a mission to rendezvous with the International Space Station. I rode down with some friends to a dock over the beach in New Smyrna and had a great view of the pre-dawn launch. We were fortunate to be looking up at the moon when we started to see this tremendous glow in the sky. I thought at first it was Venus but then realized the planet was only starting to rise above the horizon. Also, planets do not streak across the sky so rapidly and I figured that the only object that could be glowing brighter than Venus and traveling that fast was the ISS. Sure enough, it was the ISS and some photographer sent in an image on NASA’s website and captured the station transiting the Moon.
‘Humans are the most curious species on this planet and space has allowed us to apply that curiosity. It is part of our nature to explore the unknown, to expand our capabilities and technology, and to inspire the next generation to disprove the meaning of the word impossible.’
For those of you who are starting ERAU in the fall, look out, as I just might be your Orientation Team Leader!
Next semester’s flight, I’m registering for Commercial Multi in the Diamond Twin Star (DA-42-L360). That will be on Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday.
Have you ever seen those shirts that say “I ? NY”? Well, I’ve always wanted one of those but thought I probably shouldn’t get one till I’d actually been there. I’m now the proud owner of one and can’t wait to make my next trip to New York!
As I mentioned before, I went on a three-day trip to New York with six other students sponsored by the Alumni Association. The purpose of our trip was to attend the Wings Club Luncheon. The Wings Club is a group of aviation leaders that come together once a month to discuss issues in the aviation industry. At the luncheon we met lots of people, including their current president and he asked our opinion on how to get young people involved in aviation. He understands the importance of investing in the younger generation and is seeking advice from all students. Also, the speaker at the luncheon was Mr. Bruce Nobles, the President and CEO of Air Jamaica. The luncheon was wonderful and a memorable event.
The night before the luncheon we had dinner with the New York City Alumni Chapter. Surprisingly, one of my friends who graduated last May has an internship in New York at Dassault Falcon Jet and I got to meet up with him at the dinner. I was so glad to see him again! To meet some alumni and hear about what they are doing now was wonderful. It was also interesting to hear their perspective of the industry and most of them are positive that the economy will begin to improve soon.
We did get to do some sightseeing while we were there, including Times Square, Grand Central Station, Staten Island Ferry, and the Statute of Liberty. I couldn’t believe how busy Times Square was and it looked exactly like it does in the movies! We were supposed to get to climb the Statute of Liberty but we missed the last ferry by fifteen minutes. Next time, that will definitely be at the top of my list! I was glad that I finally got to see her! The streets in New York are so crowded and I felt like if you weren’t paying attention that you would get trampled. One night we went to see The Phantom of the Opera at the Majestic Theatre and it was wonderful! I couldn’t believe how much detail went into the costumes and the set design. All in all, it was a whirlwind trip, but I thoroughly enjoyed every minute.
Oh my goodness, here we are at the end of Spring Break! Now it’s time to get back to the books and finish out the semester! Spring Break was wonderful and I love when my sister comes to visit me. She likes being down here in Florida with me so much that she has decided to move down here in May. I can’t wait to be roommates with my sister! Originally, we had wanted to go to the same college my freshman year and live together then, but other events occurred that prevented our plan. While she was here over the break, we went apartment hunting and found one that we both fell in love with. We found out the day before she left that we got the apartment and we were relieved to have found a place. Now comes the fun part, planning how we are going to decorate!
After apartment hunting, we spent the rest of our time relaxing and discovering Daytona. The weather still hasn’t warmed up to the original temperatures, so we only spent one day at the beach and we didn’t dare get in the water. I just barely placed my toe in the surf and it felt like an ice cube was touching my toe! We wanted to go parasailing but we decided to wait until May when it’s warmer. One day after discovering that it was too cold to sunbathe at the beach, we decided to take a drive along the Ormond Beach Scenic Highway. In some spots, the water was so high that it almost came up to the edge of the road. I thought the whole drive had gorgeous scenery and think it would be even prettier when there are flowers in bloom and everything is green.
Do you believe in ghosts? My sister and I were looking for something interesting to do and found the 
The last picture here is zoomed in to get a closer look at the orb. I would recommend the Haunts of Daytona Tour. Even if you don’t believe in ghosts, a lot of history of Daytona Beach and people who have lived there was covered in the tour. The tour lasted about two hours and costs $10. The money goes to preserving and taking care of cemeteries.
Traveling has become a regular part of my life at Embry-Riddle. The school’s students travel from all over the world to learn about every facet of aviation. While my travels to home are not as far as others, it’s still a plane ride to get home to the Philadelphia area. This past week, Embry-Riddle went on spring break, and I was able to catch up with friends, travel, and go to a conference on emerging technologies.