It is during peak College Admissions time, and this time two years ago I was trying to decide which university to attend. I know what you are going through, so I thought, why not write about why I chose to come to ERAU? It is a question I get asked a lot. Many people ask, “You’re a business student, why did you come to ERAU?”. Well, let me tell you…
First of all, I have been interested in air travel my entire life. I always loved going to the airport, getting on a plane, and in a few hours, I would be across the country. It was always amazing to me how many people are transported via air travel each day. This is why I pursued aviation. People say, “once you catch the aviation bug, it will never leave you”, and I have found this to be very true. No matter what, I know that I love aviation and I love to travel, so I morphed that love into a career path.
You’re thinking, ‘why business’? Well, I wasn’t exactly sure why at first. I loved Calculus in high school, so I decided, ‘well, I’ll be an engineer’. All of my teachers in high school told me to pursue engineering, since I was good at math. Up until about a few months before I had to apply for colleges, I was committed to being an engineer. However, I had a moment of realization when I attended a presentation by another university. They discussed all of their lab equipment, science classes, and the technology they had. I simply thought to myself, this does not interest me. Many people look at engineering as a high-paying job that is in high-demand, which is true, but they don’t realize all of the dedication you have to have to your studies and career. At least, I didn’t. I am so thankful that in that moment I realized that I did not have a passion for engineering and science. Because of that, I discovered I loved business. I realized I loved the power in decision-making business has. I wanted to be able to analyze revenues, costs, customer satisfaction, etc. and make a smart business decision. Then, I thought, ‘wait, I love aviation and I love business, why not do both?’. That is how I decided my future career path.
Now as to why I chose Riddle. It is pretty self-explanatory. ERAU is top in the nation for aviation, so why settle for anything less? I visited campus in Daytona Beach and fell in love. I liked the smaller size, the friendly atmosphere, and the proximity to the beach and central Florida. After I visited, my mind was made up. I knew ERAU was where I belonged. Don’t get me wrong, I was still VERY nervous to attend a university that was 3,300 miles away from my home in Seattle, WA. However, I knew I needed to get out of my comfort zone, and I thought college was the perfect way to do it. I also got a chance to look at all of the student organizations on the ERAU website, and I knew I wanted to get involved. I saw so many options for clubs and organizations that were interesting to me, so I felt like I would fit in and be able to contribute to something other than my academics.
So, here I am. Attending the most prestigious aviation school in the country, studying Aviation Business Administration, and writing to prospective students. What could be better? I truly love Embry-Riddle and am passionate about sharing my experience here, as well as why Riddle is an amazing place to be. As I finish up this post, I want to leave you (prospective students) with some advice…
- Take time to think about what your passions are, and how you can apply them to a career.
- Make your own decision about where you want to attend university. After all, you are the one who is going to be attending, not your friends or parents.
- Do not stress about finances just yet. Apply where you want to apply, and everything will work itself out.
- Visit campus. This is so important in getting a feel for what life is actually like at the university!
- Don’t stress. I know the college application process is very frightening, but I promise you, you will end up where you are supposed to be.
Trust the process. I am so grateful that I trusted myself and made my own decision to attend ERAU. It has been the most beneficial choice I have made, and I am so thankful for everything Riddle has done for me already. If you are like me, scared to leave home and pursue your passion, take the jump! I promise you it will be such a rewarding experience. I hope to see you here soon!
Until next time,
Lindsey
