The 6th Annual Mission Inn Festivals of Speed showcased both vintage and contemporary vehicles of all makes and models. The show field was diverse with vehicles placed into an exquisite setting. The perfectly manicured fairway of this magnificent property played host to some of the world’s most exotic supercars, American muscle, rare custom motorcycles, vintage boats and countless other unique and exciting vehicles.
The 2018 DAYTONA 500 serves as the pinnacle for the six decades of historic performances, heroic figures and spectacular moments that transformed Bill France’s dream into “The Great American Race.” The Monster Energy NASCAR Cup season began anew with this showcase of speed, skill and determination as drivers battled the famed 2.5-mile trioval and its 31-degree banking to earn the coveted title of the DAYTONA 500 Champion. Austin Dillon ended up winning the race after a last lap crash that was a huge turn of events. It was the first time in 20 years that the #3 saw the winner’s circle at Daytona since the death of Dale Earnhardt Sr. If you didn’t make it to this year’s Daytona 500, don’t miss out and be sure to make it next year!
Hi everyone!
I hope anyone who came to Preview Day had a great time! This time of year on campus is crazy! We all love seeing the new faces around but we also are working hard preparing for finals and finishing projects. And on top of all that, lots of students are preparing for interviews for internships or jobs! I was surprised by how many students asked about internship opportunities at Preview Day – that’s so great you guys are thinking ahead!
Some people get internships as a freshman but I waited until my sophomore year. This means these are my first real interviews. I have interviewed with United, SFO, DIA, and Allegiant. These have been phone, video-recording, Skype, and in-person interviews. I applied for about 10 internships and have gotten 8 interviews. So far I have received multiple offers and I am super excited! Now the stressful part is deciding which!
Skype and video-recording interviews are awkward and kind of frustrating with the lagging. Phone interviews are nice because you can have notes in front of you. In-person interviews are my favorite because you are able to show your personality better in my opinion!
Just yesterday I was flown to Chicago for an interview with United Airlines. This was an amazing experience. I felt very prepared because I have utilized Career Services and their help was extremely useful. I wasn’t even nervous! The interviewers were very nice and the experiences I’ve had at Embry-Riddle in classes and in organizations were very applicable to their questions. Many of my interviewers were even Riddle grads!
Taking the train in Chicago to my interview.
I left to Chicago very early then took the L Train into the city from the airport. I then went and did my interview, got coffee, and headed back to the airport. It was a wild day but I had a great time getting a little lost in the city!
I left Florida in 80 degree weather only to land in snowy Chicago!
Internships are great experience builders and can take place during the summer, spring, and fall semesters. I encourage you to talk to Career Services your first semester and begin planning for internships as soon as possible! Even just the interview process itself is great experience!
-Maddie
Hello Everyone!
I hope you’re all having a great week! Mine has been super busy so far! We had the campus Women in Aviation day on March 29th. During that day, the Women’s Ambassador Program set up a lip gloss station at the ICI Center. There were other departments with various activities that the girls could participate in. Around 350 7th grade girls were at our event!
Women Ambassadors at the WAI event
On the same day, we had our T.A.G (Thank All Givers) Day! Basically, a few of us volunteered to go around campus and thank all the professors, faculty and employees at the university who donated.
T.A.G ft Dean Mike Williams
T.A.G. ft Jenny Hinebaugh
Another major event that happened on campus was Preview Day on April 7th. On this day, we have our accepted future eagles come learn more about the campus, and even attend classes that related to their major! I volunteered and wore 4 different polos that day- COA (College of Aviation), Women’s Ambassador Program, Embry-Riddle Women’s panel, and Career Services. It was so much fun to meet all the students that are so passionate about aviation and want to join our eagle family.
WAP table at Preview Day
Representing Riddle on the Women’s Panel
All in all, it was great meeting our accepted future eagles! Please feel free to leave a comment if you have questions.
Regards,
Maryam
Women’s History Month highlights the contributions to society’s advancements in all fields. As women, it is an uphill battle to overcome adversity in male-dominated careers. This is often enough to make us give up and turn around, but for Captain Stephanie Johnson and Captain Arcie Quintana this was the motivation they needed. Delta’s Firsts, a Women’s History Month celebration, was an inspiring and motivational event for everyone to listen, learn and connect about the adversity female pilots endure.
Captain Stephanie Johnson, currently piloting an Airbus A320, is the first female African-American captain at Delta Airlines. Among many other things, such as being a wife and a mother, Captain Johnson is the Director of the Organization of Black Aerospace Professionals Cleveland Aviation Career Education (ACE) Academy.
Captain Isaura Arcie Quintana, currently piloting the Boeing 757 and 767, is the first female Latina Captain at Delta Airlines. Captain Quintana endured many hurdles while pursuing her career as a single mother, including financial instability. Despite these challenges, she was the first and only female pilot at JetWest Aviation. The Captain was also the first female pilot to fly MD-90s for Great American Airways and Sunjet Aviation prior to beginning her career at Northwest Airlines. Her success defines the possibilities we can all achieve if we persevere.
Both captains shared with the audience their backgrounds, their history, and the numerous challenges they continue to face as women in aviation. Despite this, they shared their confidence in Delta Airlines and other airlines as they continue to learn new ways to empower and encourage women. Captain Johnson explained that Delta’s Women’s Employee Network encourages female employees to empower one another. It includes pilots and corporate employees alike.
Below are some things they would like women to keep in mind not only this month, but as we continue to pursue our careers:
Delta’s First was hosted by the Organization of Black Aerospace Professionals student chapter as well as the Office of Diversity & Inclusion (Pictured Left to Right – Captain Stephanie Johnson, Director of the Office of Diversity & Inclusion Kenneth Hunt, OBAP advisor Dr. Nancy Lawrence, various OBAP members, and Captain Arcie Quintana).
⋆ Dani
I hope everyone is doing well! We just finished Spring Break and it’s now the time of year that feels so busy as we all wrap up projects and prepare for finals! Last time I wrote about Preview Day (April 7th) and I hope you can all attend! If you have questions, please feel free to leave them in the comments section of that post! If/when you visit, be sure to check out and use #Iamaneagle on social media! I plan to write up the ULTIMATE packing list that I wish I had had, but for now, I thought it would be beneficial to ease the minds of many incoming freshmen.
As a Women’s Ambassador, my third or fourth conversation with my girls is usually asking about relationships. It’s not uncommon for people who have been dating throughout high school to be a little panicked at this point in senior year.
To begin, I’m proud of anyone who is planning on trying out long distance. It’s easy to quit the relationship, or worse, give up your dream to go to the same college as your “bae”. Our school is so specialized that you most likely are coming because your passion is in aviation or aerospace! While these final months spent together may make you dread being apart (if they don’t I would be worried, haha!), know it is all ok!
Ok, here is the background on my long distance relationship and then we will get on with the advice!
Chris and I have been together since the middle of senior year. We went to different schools but worked together at a restaurant. Overall, we didn’t have the opportunity to spend much time together throughout the week, but we always made time on Friday nights or the weekend after work. Chris stayed in Colorado while I moved to Florida for school. On breaks, I would go home and spend lots of time with him and my family. Sometimes Chris would be gone on breaks and that would be hard. This year, Chris is in California, so I don’t even get to see him when I go home. That definitely makes things more challenging.
Chris is in the military so we have an additional challenge. Last fall we went months without any contact except letters. It was rough but very rewarding when I finally got to see him at his graduation. I was so proud! We still struggle due to the time difference between us and with both of us being busy!
My best advice:
Do it – As I already mentioned, a lot of people never even try. They break up before or one sacrifices their education/top university choice for the other. Try it! Do what is best for you and I promise, if it is meant to be, you will find a way to make it work!
Write letters – I learned that while Chris was in Basic Training, letters made our love story very fun! It’s better than texting all day and being distracted from life in front of you. Even though we can text occasionally throughout the day, we still send letters!
Use the mail – Along with letters, use things like Etsy, BirchBox, flower delivery services, or other mailing options to send surprises to each other. Chris is great at this and little does he know, he currently has a surprise coming to him now! Everyone loves a little surprise and getting a package from the mail center makes my day! This sounds expensive but it’s not! Think about if you did a date night, it would be about $40. Mailing Chris a box of his favorite snacks costs $20!
Make time – This is obvious but it’s harder than people think. He is working and I have class, work, and activities. We promise each other the weekend afternoons! He normally calls me at night and we do homework together after sharing our days. We use to text everything but now we have cut back so we have things to share at night. This gives us something to look forward to! I have learned to communicate very clearly my feelings since we don’t have the luxury of non-verbal cues. I have to remind myself he can’t see that I’m tired, so I need to say I am. This way he knows I may be a bit crankier.
Facetime is life – It is. While you may be sad seeing couples together, you just have to accept this is as good as it gets for now. We Facetime often and sync movies (there are websites for this) or play 21 questions! It sounds silly but there are games to play online if you Google them!
Plan trips – While it may be more expensive, think of all the money you’re saving on eating out while apart! I visited Chris last month (you can see my other post for more details) and he came last semester. That short time together makes it all worth it! We think of it as getting to travel more than we would if we were together. When he comes to visit, it’s like a mini vacation!
Be patient – Patience is the backbone of long distance relationships. You have to be ok with boring Facetime calls, awkward silences, not knowing any of the same people, not being able to share stories about classes like in high school, and not experiencing new things together. Yes it makes me sad and we fought a lot to get to the point we are at now, but you really learn and grow as a person throughout it. I have learned to communicate more, be off my phone, and listen better.
At the end of the day, I just recommend giving it a shot. Do NOT let your relationship jeopardize your future. Unfortunately, a lot of my friends broke up in college, even people who went to the same school. There is no advice that will save your relationship, that’s up to you! I just know that while we have weeks we fight every day, we have months of constant happiness even while apart. Yes, it sucks I am alone, but because of this, I am way more involved in my classes and clubs! Honestly, if Chris were here, I would always be distracted! If your partner is coming to the same school as you, that’s great! Don’t lose yourself or miss out on opportunities though!
Have a great week! – Maddie Dietrich
Student clubs and organizations THRIVE on campus. There are over 200 different organizations ranging from professional organizations, major-specific orgs, and even clubs for music and the arts. There’s a home for everyone, and I found a home in the Organization of Black Aerospace Professionals (OBAP).
We hosted our first ever OBAP week during Black History Month and we’re finally compiling all of the content. OBAP week emphasizes our pillars – scholarship, leadership networking, and community service.
This was our OBAP week flyer that we distributed throughout campus. All events were open to everyone and we were happy to see that faculty members participated in events as well.
Sunday, club members got together to paint the Spirit Rock. Located steps away from the Student Center, the Spirit Rock is a point of self-expression for students on campus. OBAP was excited to add the layers of painted history that the rock provides the student body.
Our finished product! We definitely aren’t spray paint masters, but in the process of painting the rock we got a chance to bond, talk, and just have fun.
Throughout the week we displayed Black Aviation/Aerospace Facts in the student center. This was an opportunity to shed light on the giants that paved the way for Black and African-Americans in aviation.
Prior to flying with United Airlines, Captain Marshall served in the United States Air Force beginning in 1964. In 1972, Captain Marshall was forced to eject over enemy territory and was captured. He was a Prisoner of War (POW) until his release in 1973. Our members and other attendees were fortunate enough to hear his stories as an African-American in the USAF and a POW in the 60s and 70s – a time of racism and civil injustice. His stories highlight the importance of celebrating Black History Month as well as the other men and women that contribute to “reclaiming our time.”
Later in the week, we attended the Embry-Riddle Basketball games with the Caribbean Students Association. Dressed in our blue and gold, we were the embodiment of school spirit. Still one of the best games I’ve been to!
Our members also got the opportunity to participate in the half-time games. I honestly can’t remember if we won; we were so busy cheering that we didn’t know what we were really cheering for. We were just excited! The games are a must.
On Friday, we invited Bethune-Cookman University to participate in our annual trivia night. Questions were centered around Black history, aviation, aerospace, and pop culture.
OBAP closed off the week with a leadership retreat in Orlando. Staying in the house allowed us to bond, connect, and learn from one another.
In light of all of these events and the upcoming close of the year, our club (myself, especially) is reminiscing. This was a semester to cherish. Thank you to everyone that participated and those that will participate in the future. OBAP is Embry-Riddle and I couldn’t be more proud to be an Eagle!
To see more of OBAP’s events and our role in the Embry-Riddle campus community, check out our Instagram.
⋆ Dani
Hello everyone,
I hope you’re doing well and had a great spring break! I was out for 4 more days after spring break since I got to travel with the Admissions Department and represent the Women’s Ambassador Program (WAP). I guess you could say I had a “mini-spring break” after the actual one! We traveled to Dallas, Houston and San Antonio for the Accepted Students Receptions (ASR). Some of the girls I met while representing WAP were Kiara (Dallas), Emili (Houston) and Rylan (San Antonio).
Met Kiara in Dallas
Met Emili in Houston
Met Rylan in San Antonio
Each future eagle got a towel as well as a folder that contained some information about our school. It had information about financial aid resources that included scholarship search and loans. It also included a list of things student should bring when they move in. Some of these include:
One of the tips we suggest is that residents should coordinate with each other on who should bring what!
Swag for future eagles at ASR
There was also a handout regarding admitted student checklist in the folder. This checklist is a good reminder for students to follow and make the transition into college as smooth as possible. Here is the link to the checklist online: https://daytonabeach.erau.edu/admissions/applied-students/checklist/index.html
The ASR events were great opportunities to meet all our future eagles and to help ease any worries they had! I had a great time talking to them, and they sure loved hearing all about Riddle from a student’s perspective! I also got little gifts for working hard and going the extra mile during these events. I got a Starbucks gift card, Embry-Riddle table top propeller and a ERAU CS 172 model!
All in all, this was a great experience, and I can’t wait to travel in April to Seattle and Denver. Please feel free to ask me any questions, and I’d love to help!
Until next time,
Maryam Gracias
Hello everyone!
I hope you all are having a fantastic spring break! My spring break has been eventful so far! For the first weekend of spring break, my family and I went camping to Salt Springs in Ocala for the weekend. Salt Springs is one of Ocala’s jewels. The spring was named due to the fact that there are potassium, sodium and magnesium deposits making the water saline. We had four tents set up, so we all pretty much had our own tents, except for, of course, my parents who shared a tent!
Partial view of our campsite
Full view of our campsite
Photo of our tents ft mum & bro
Another campsite photo
Relaxing photo ft Brent
There are plenty of activities to do in the area. When we camped there for 2 nights, we all went for a little hike and even biked around the recreation area. There is a beautiful lake named Lake Kerr, where campers can enjoy plenty of water activities. It was way too cold to go for a swim, but we did bike around the area. We had our bonfire going on pretty much our entire stay due to how cold it was!
Lake Kerr
Lake Kerr
Me gooning around on my bike
My dad acting cool with his bike skills
Brent & I next to a tree that is more than 200 years old
Lake Kerr
Me posing in general
Our massive bonfire
After camping, Brent and I headed back to Daytona due to my Women’s Ambassador Program (WAP) travel. I traveled with the Admissions Department to Cincinnati and Detroit on March 12th-14th representing WAP. We hosted Accepted Student Receptions in both states, where we got to talk to all our future eagles that will be joining us in Fall! I talked to a lot of students there and below are some of the photos with the girls I talked to! In Cincinnati, I met Sophie and Sydney. I met Lauren in Detroit, who will be joining us in Fall too! All of them are such amazing and bright women, and I am super excited for them to be joining our Riddle family!
Sophie and I in Cincinnati
Sydney and I in Cincinnati
Cincinnati Accepted Students Reception
Detroit Accepted Students Reception
Lauren and I in Detroit
After my WAP travel, my boyfriend picked me up from KDAB and we headed straight to my house in Bradenton. We all went for a dinner to Chilis, which was super fun!
My family <3
My brother Savio
Spring Break is not over yet! We have a fishing trip planned for this Saturday and then we head back to Daytona! I will be traveling next week with WAP again to Texas so stay tuned for my travel updates!
Until next time,
Maryam
Today I am home in Castle Rock, Colorado for spring break. While I’m cruising through these old, familiar streets, I have been quite nostalgic of the times leading up to college. I remember being so excited after being accepted since Embry-Riddle was my first pick. I know many of you are going through similar experiences now, so I thought I would tell you a little bit about the last bit of time before college.
I have said this before, but if you are torn on which college to choose, go visit! Each college has its own personality and you’ll get a feeling once you’re standing there on whether or not you can see yourself there. I understand traveling can be expensive so take the online virtual tours and read blogs like these to understand student life! If you’ve visited both schools and are still unsure, do more research!
This time of year for seniors is pretty calm. Most know where they will be attending or at the very least, where they are accepted. The pressure of applications is off and all that is left to worry about is graduation and possibly some AP exams. The good news is… it only gets better from here!
Most colleges have an orientation or preview day. We have both here at Riddle! Preview Day is April 7th so be sure to RSVP for that! It is only for accepted students. Orientation is in fall before classes begin. At our Preview Day, you can sit in on classes, make tuition and housing deposits, take tours of the campus and dorms, get your eagle ID, and register for classes. You can also talk to financial aid if you have any questions or problems! I know many people who made friends and even found roommates during this day! Many campus organizations will be out and talking about their clubs so accepted students can get to know more about them. Girls can meet with their woman ambassador too – I know I am meeting with some of mine! I’m adding some very cheesy photos from my Preview Day in 2016 (I feel old) *cringe*!
Got my eagle ID!
Here I am getting help registering for classes. They provide a sheet of recommendations.
I met up with a girl from my town who was a senior at Riddle. Our mom’s worked together.
Meeting with my woman ambassador, Jackie! We still talk even though she has graduated.
Taking a housing tour and making friends! I still say hi to these guys when I see them on campus!
In the days leading up to graduation, cherish the moments. Don’t get too caught up in all the unimportant details like what shoes to wear or planning the perfect party. Enjoy your family who came to celebrate with you, thank your teachers for their support, and spend time with your friends before everyone goes to either side of the country! Get pictures before the graduation so you have better chances of getting non-crowded, and your first pick of backgrounds.
After graduation, enjoy your summer because the next ones will be filled with internships, flights, or summer classes. I worked the whole summer before coming to college and I am thankful I did. When the family plans a vacation, join them! (note: I have an older sister who is always super busy during the summer, so my parents learned from her that we need vacations now)!
You will also begin packing and preparing for school now! Soon I will be posting a thorough packing list. Until then, start getting necessities like bedding (for an XL twin bed) and other obvious items. (Note: I recommend Target, Macy’s, or PB Teen for bedding!)
One more thing about Preview Day, you get to tour Daytona when you have free time. While there is a lot to do, there is no strict schedule. My mom and I went to the flea market, beach, and Disney!
At Daytona Beach!
At the flea market!
Disney World with my mom!
Your Embry-Riddle gear gets you into cockpits! I was welcomed up on my flight back home!
Please leave a comment if you have any questions! I’d be happy to help!
– Maddie Dietrich
