Tag Archives: 2022

Graduation & Commissioning

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Happy May everyone! I’m currently blogging from Daytona Beach, Florida – for the last time! I have spent the past five years at ERAU-Daytona Beach working towards a Bachelors of Science degree in Aerospace Engineering on an Aeronautics track and I’ve finally reached the finish line! The feeling of submitting your final undergraduate course level assignments and finishing your last final exam is exhilarating and SO motivating! Thinking back to my freshman year, I never could have imagined the experiences, opportunities, lessons, and all the incredible people I’ve met during my college experience.

My final Academic Advising Report though the Campus Solutions Student Homepage on Ernie!

I finished out my final semester with all As, and an overall Cumulative Grade Point Average of 3.552 which I am so proud of! Additionally, I am graduating with Minors in Arabic Studies and Military Science, and will be commissioning into the U.S. Air Force post-grad! I spent the past 5 years not only as a student, but as an Air Force ROTC cadet. Truthfully my time in AFROTC was one of my favorite aspects of my collegiate experience overall! AFROTC introduced me to some of my lifelong best friends, my (hopefully lifelong) love of working out, and helped me find out that I am passionate about languages through my participation in Project Global Officer (Arabic in particular)! My Air Force family is one that I will truly never forget and the leadership, time management, and organization skills I’ve learned as a result of completing 5 years in the program are invaluable.

Post-Beach PT with one of my best friends I met through AFROTC!

Upon graduation I will be pursuing a Master’s of Science degree in Operations Research from the Air Force Institute of Technology in Dayton, Ohio. I hope to be able to further integrate my love of aviation and Arabic into my career in the future. As they say – if there’s a will, there’s a way! While I do not know where my life or my military career will take me, I do know that while everyone may feel a bit exhilarated at graduation, I feel extremely prepared (and VERY excited) to take on the ‘real world’!

Throughout my time at ERAU one of the biggest lessons I’ve learned as a tip for success was utilizing my resources! There are so many different offices on campus with the sole purpose to help students. For example, the Office of Prestigious Awards and Fellowships, Office of Undergraduate Advising, Career Services, the Fitness Center, Health and Wellness Services, ERNIE Central, the Academic Advancement Center (A^2) and so many others! If you are dedicated enough to success, reach out to your professors for help, and study, Study, STUDY… anything is possible! Thank you to all the amazing professors, faculty, staff, friends, and family that have helped and supported me along the way. I am so grateful and so excited for my future. Keep on keeping on folks – signing off!

Beach Days & Service Dress

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Happy almost April everyone! I’m currently blogging post Spring Break and ready for the end of the semester! We’re  approximately a month away!

One of the main reasons the culture at ERAU is so unique is because of the fairly small student population (relative to larger state schools) and the work ethic culture! For example, it’s the Monday post Spring Break and classes were back in full swing today! On my way to my early morning classes the atriums of the the college buildings were full of students studying, doing homework, and last minute preparing (aka cramming) for various tests, quizzes, and presentations.

If I hadn’t taken a break for a week I almost wouldn’t have thought no classes had occurred the past week! Even the gym was back in full swing! It was almost as if campus had literally pressed Pause, then Play like a movie, everything completely picked back up where it left off, even teachers and classes! I was surprised to say the least that there was not more of an easing back into the grind and business of everyday life. I suppose rigor is expected in senior level Aerospace Engineering classes, but mentally I was still on weekend mode this Monday morning.

Nevertheless, my staycation Spring Break was exactly what I needed. I spent most days catching up on homework, lab reports, papers, and studying, and even had the opportunity to get in a few beach days!

Relaxing beach day over Spring Break!

Thankfully the fitness center was also fairly empty, so I leisurely enjoyed waking up without an alarm and taking my time during workouts! It was truly a restful and well needed break and I am excited for the final push towards finals!

Post-StairMaster workout at the fitness center over the break!

Additionally, I had another exciting life event happen over Spring Break! I got the chance to zoom up to Patrick Space Force Base to buy my Service Dress uniforms for my commissioning ceremony. Commissioning occurs after graduation and officially marks the transition from Cadet life in Air Force ROTC to life as an Active Duty Officer in the U.S. Air Force. While I can definitely say after 5 years of working towards my undergraduate degree I am ready to graduate, I am 1000x more excited to commission and start my career serving my country. My post-graduation plans include a masters degree at the Air Force Institute of Technology in Dayton, Ohio. I’m ready to spring into the next chapter of my education career, and my adult life. Keep on keeping on folks! Will report back soon with life updates and more!

Books & Acai Bowls

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Happy January everyone! I’m currently blogging from Daytona Beach and the Spring 2022 semester has officially begun! Although the future of if we’ll be switching online or not is up in the air, for the most part we are back in full swing! Winter break was very restful, and I’m so excited for spring break to visit my family again.

Current life updates: I am taking one WorldWide (WW) class completely online that is much more work than I had originally anticipated, but is a really awesome opportunity to explore topics not directly related to my degree. I’m taking a Marriage & Family class which in only two weeks has taught me about more philosophical and multi-dimensional layers of familial relations than I have ever learned about. Another elective I had space for in my last semester, one that I’ve only gotten more excited for after meeting the professor and going to the first few classes, is HU 365 – Comparative Religions! I’m very interested to learn more about different religions, religious practices, and world views.

Current books on my nightstand that are helping me prep for my Comparative Religions course are The Complete Dead Sea Scrolls in English translated by Geza Vermes, The Zodiac and the Salts of Salvation by Carey & Perry, and The Pineal Gland: The Eye of God by Manly Hall. Additional books on my to-read list for HU 365 are The Will to Believe by William James, and The Individual and His Religion by Gordon Allport. I don’t usually have a ton of time to read during the weeks, but I try to get through at least a few pages everynight before I go to bed.

I started going to the gym! I am two weeks in to a gym schedule of lifting 3 days a week! I am excited to finally get into lifting and to get stronger. In addition to lifting I still have AFROTC PT sessions twice a week, and I do cardio like running, stair climbing, or cycling quite frequently. Also, I went to my first cycling class at the fitness center this semester!

Additionally, my new favorite afternoon pick me up is bringing iced tea to classes. I’ve also been trying to eat more fruit and fresh veggies! My faves have been mango, pomegranate, or pineapple on oatmeal in the mornings. Fresh fruit makes dorm room breakfast so much better! I’ve been exploring eating on campus more and recently tried an acai bowl for lunch the other day from Propellers! You can find the entire Propellers menu here!

Oatmeal with pineapple and almond butter!
Acai bowl from Propellers!

In other news, I went to my first graduation prep meeting! I am so excited for graduation and to see my family again. Winter break was short lived and although the semester just begun, I am eagerly waiting for its conclusion. Keep on keeping on folks! Will report back soon!