Tag Archives: grace hamilton

Girls in Aviation Day 2025

Posted on by
Reply

Good day everybody!

As the semester kicks into full gear with classes, group projects, and clubs there have been a lot of cool things happening on and around campus. This past weekend I got to participate in an incredible event that helped inspire the next generation of women in aviation. I couldn’t have done it without this very special group of women.

At the Daytona Beach campus, I’m an active member of the ERAU Women in Aviation Chapter. Our group includes young women from all corners of the aviation industry—ranging from pilots and mechanics to experts in aviation safety, human factors, and more. I’ve been involved with Women in Aviation even before enrolling at Embry-Riddle, and it has continued to be a meaningful part of my journey. Just this past weekend, our chapter volunteered at the Girls in Aviation Day event, hosted by the regional Women in Aviation chapter at SHELTAIR.

At the event, several vendors, flight schools, and organizations came together to show young girls and their families all that aviation has to offer. From the moment they arrived and received their goodie bags to the excitement of reaching the flight line and seeing the aircraft up close, it was clear they were experiencing their dreams taking flight.

This year, I worked the photo booth alongside one of the Flexjet captains. She was incredible to talk to and inspired so many girls by sharing her journey and career in aviation. Nearby, a face painting booth helped imaginations soar with creative designs and lots of glitter.

Here is a picture of me with one of my fellow Aerospace and Occupational students on the left and on my right is the ERAU Daytona Beach Chapter President.

Embry-Riddle was proudly represented with one of our own Cessna 172s. In addition, organizations like FLAP, Women in Aviation, the VR Lab, and the MakerSpace hosted engaging activities, giving the girls hands-on experiences and a glimpse into the diverse and exciting world of aviation.

Girls in Aviation Day was more than just an event—it was a reminder of why representation, mentorship, and community matter so much in this industry. Seeing the excitement on the girls’ faces and watching their curiosity grow into passion was incredibly rewarding.

I’m grateful to be part of a group like Women in Aviation that actively works to create opportunities and spark inspiration in future aviators. As I continue my journey at Embry-Riddle, I look forward to more opportunities like this to give back, connect, and help shape the future of aviation—one dream at a time.

Fly-In Adventures: St.Petersburg, FL

Posted on by
Reply

This past weekend, I got to do something unforgettable to celebrate my 2-year anniversary — and it was nothing short of magical. If you couldn’t tell by the title… we took to the skies and flew to St. Pete!

I was a little nervous at first during the preflight as this was going to be my first time in a general aviation aircraft and I usually get motion sick on normal commercial airliners. Thankfully I was prepared with stuff just in case, and got very lucky that I felt perfect the entire flight.

We left Deland promptly that morning and flew two hours southwest down to St. Petersburg, FL. There were many beautiful clouds and sights along the way. I never realized how many bodies of water there were in Florida till we started flying over them.

We finally made it to Albert Whittled Airport in St. Petersburg, Florida, and were ready for something to eat. This airport is really special as it has a secret hidden gem. At the corner of the airport and at the end of one of the runways is a place called The Hangar Restaurant and Flight Lounge. It is an aviation themed restaurant with views of the airport and gorgeous surrounding water. Once we got parked and filled up the airplane we headed inside for a delicious meal.

Since we got there so early I decided to get breakfast and man was it delicious. They have so many options it was hard to pick. If you get there around lunch time or dinner they had some amazing options on the menu that I can’t wait to go back and try.

While we were there I noticed a lot of fancy and very expensive speedboats heading down towards the docks. At first I thought that it was probably just a show. However 5 minutes of research made me realize that it was actually the Monster Energy St. Pete Powerboat P1 Grand Prix. Let me just say, some of those boats that were coming through were so big they were being towed in on 18-wheelers.

They weren’t racing when we tookoff to head home but you could see everyone getting ready and the helicopters getting set to takeoff and record the race from above. It was a really cool experience.

If you ever have the time to take a trip down to St. Petersburg, whether flying or driving, I highly recommend you give this place a visit.

Here is a link to their website if you’re interested: https://thehangarstpete.com/

Aerospace and Occupational Safety Facing Changes

Posted on by
Reply

Embry-Riddle offers a wide variety of degree programs where you are able to explore your passions and prepare for your future. Recently some programs have been going through a few changes. For example, my degree is changing in many ways. 

In my bio you’ll see that I am majoring in Aerospace and Occupational Safety. I have a year left in this program and I have loved every moment. My classes have prepared me for careers in aviation safety as well as in the occupational and environmental safety field. Having this duality has opened a lot of doors for me when applying for internships. This summer I am working as a Safety and Environmental Intern at SeaWorld. Now I know you may be asking what does that have to do with aviation and the answer is ……… nothing, at least not directly. While I may be working with maintenance, rides, animal, and chemicals, this knowledge and principles of operation can still be applied to the aviation and aerospace industry. Next summer, I will be able to apply the knowledge I’ve gained from SeaWorld to my internship at GE Aerospace as an Environmental, Health and Safety (EHS), Facilities, and Maintenance intern. So, while my current internship does not deal with aviation the knowledge I gained from it will help my next summer at my dream company. 

I have gotten to do so many incredible things in this program. Here are a few of my favorites!

United MRO trip with ASAC
KDAB Airport Drill
Safety and Environmental Internship at Seaworld Summer 2025

Starting in the fall of this year the program is changing gears. There will no longer be an occupational safety option for the undergraduate program. The degree will now be Aviation and Aerospace Safety. This new degree will be accredited by the AABI (Aviation Accreditation Board International) instead of the current ABET. Embry-Riddle’s goal with this change is to create a more evolved focus in the aviation safety industry. While this is an understandable change given Embry-Riddle is an aviation focused school it does still have effects. If you are interested in the occupational safety side of things you can do the occupational safety minor. I highly recommend doing this as it will open more opportunities for you. 

This program has a lot of advantages over many other programs offered by Embry-Riddle. First, the program is super small. Most of the time there is only one or two sections for a class. I’ve never had more than 35 people in one of my safety courses. Since there is such a small class size you are able to talk to your professors more frequently if you have questions. I’ve never had to worry about scheduling time to meet with my professors because they are always available to help during office hours. Another great thing about this program is the career opportunities you will have. 

Almost every major company out there has an EHS or safety program. Some of the companies that students in the program are working for are: 

  • Delta 
  • United 
  • American Airlines 
  • Gulfstream 
  • Seaworld 
  • Sierra Nevada Corporation 
  • Atlas Air 
  • NTSB 
  • FAA 
  • GE Aerospace 
  • And this list could go on and on…. 

As you can see the opportunities are endless. Once you find the area that you enjoy the sky is the limit. Take every opportunity that you can. 

During the summer there is a great opportunity to participate in the Safety in the Aegean Study Abroad Program. As of now there should be a trip for Summer 2026. Dr. Szathmary, one of the excellent safety professors at Embry-Riddle, teaches several courses on the trip. Even if you can’t make the study abroad trip, I highly recommend taking her in-person classes during the spring and fall. 

If you have a passion for safety, investigation, and improving the future of the industry, I highly recommend the College of Aviation’s BS in Aviation and Aerospace Safety. This program allows you the flexibility to find where your passion lies and help create a better and more sustainable future. 

For new information about the program feel free to follow this link: https://erau.edu/degrees/bachelor/aviation-aerospace-safety