Tag Archives: senior

Letters to Myself

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The Spring 2024 semester is upon us, and with that, the beginning of my senior year! A year that will undoubtedly be challenging, and one that will pass by faster than I could ever imagine. With the start of the last year of my college career, I’ve decided to do some reflection in the form of letters to my past, present, and future self. I hope you enjoy these letters, whether or not you relate to past, present, or future me.

Dear fresh high school-graduate Chloe,

My high school graduation, in May 2021. It took place on my school’s football field, with seats placed six feet apart, so as to lessen the risk of spreading COVID-19.

Sweet girl, you have no idea what you’re about to do. No ideas about the world you’re going to become immersed in and grow to love. No idea who you’re going to meet. I know that you never thought you’d even get to college and I wish you could see yourself now. You’ve learned so many things about the world, your degree (you love it, by the way), and most importantly, yourself. You will go through some tough times, as we all do. I’m not going to lie, in your first two years of college, you are going to hit your lowest low. You are going to feel as though all hope is lost. But guess what? You’re gonna make it out okay. In fact, you’re gonna make it out of the trenches stronger and smarter than you ever have been. And I am so proud of you. You’ll begin to learn that you’re allowed to be proud of yourself and your achievements. I am so proud of you. I know that you won’t hear that often, especially from yourself, which is why I’m saying it now. You will learn to love everything about yourself, a lot of this thanks to some wonderful people you’ve met. You will write a note on your mirror that is still there; “Be nice to the girl looking back at you.” You won’t be very good at that at first, but now it isn’t even a second thought. Your friends will come and go. Some are meant to stay a while, and some are not, and you’ll learn that is just how life is sometimes. All of this combined, you are going to grow so much. You will make some mistakes but you will achieve so much. Your worries and doubts are not in vain, but dearest, let me tell you, everything will work out. Everything you are worried about will no longer have a place in your mind. Oh and hey, you’ll break your foot eventually, but don’t worry, it didn’t hurt when it happened, and you’ll heal and be back in the gym only a few months later. I am so proud of you, and I know that I would not be where I am doing what I do without your strength and resilience. You are the strongest version of us, and I am so grateful for our experiences. I know you’ll have days where all you wanna do is grow up and be a “real adult,” but I kinda wished you never had to grow up. You will learn to appreciate the little things and maybe the things that seem somewhat childish, and that’s totally okay. You are healing. I am so proud of what you have done and what you have yet to do.

To the girl writing this letter,

This is me in a photo taken for the Avion, where I work on the broadcast project.

You’ve got this. Remember not to get too in your head. You are kind, intelligent, and driven. You are going to accomplish so much, and you actually already have! Remember that you are surrounded by people who love and support you, and that you deserve this love and support. Don’t take this for granted, as these people deserve your love and support too. But don’t let others tear you down. You don’t owe anyone an excuse for the way you live your life. And you don’t owe love to anyone. Your love will naturally flow to those who need it, and you don’t have to keep people around who don’t make you happy. I think this will be an important point to remember- surround yourself with what makes you happy. This includes having a clean space, a clean body, and a clean mind. And, of course, good food, good times, and good people. Feed your body and feed your soul. You are young, but you’re growing up too. The “real world” is less than 365 days away. Your degree is in sight, and you can absolutely do it. You have less college left than you’ve already done, so don’t sweat it. You’ve got this. Make this year the best year you’ve ever had. It should be easy for you, love. 

To future Chloe,

(I don’t have a picture for this one…)

I have no idea what you’re up to. All I know is that I hope you’re happy. I know you’re successful, because not succeeding was never an option for you. Maybe you’re a flight attendant, maybe you’re a corporate girl boss. Or maybe even, you’re back in school getting another degree… I’m hoping for you that where you’re getting your next meal from or how you’re buying your next tank of gas is no longer a worry for you. Maybe you’re engaged to be married, maybe you’re happily living life solo. Only time will tell. This is quite a short letter, but that’s mostly because I cannot see into the future. I can only hope for something and work towards it, which is exactly what I intend to do. I’m incredibly excited to see what you accomplish, and I know that no matter where you end up and what you do, you will be happy and successful.

Sincerely,

Chloe Christovich

I hope you enjoyed my letters, and maybe they even inspired you to write your own. I hope all your dreams come true and that you are the happiest you’ve ever been.

Finals & Graduation Season

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Happy almost Finals week everyone! I’m currently blogging from Daytona Beach, Florida, the Spring 2022 semester is coming to a close, and we’re so close to finishing up! My life lately has mostly consisted of homework, projects, class, studying, working out, and ROTC. With only one week of school left, two weeks until my commissioning PT test, and three weeks until graduation and commissioning… life is moving so fast! Towards the end of the semester I’ve found I am usually the busiest, most stressed, and running on the most caffeine (with less and less sleep). However, I am looking forward to graduation and catching up on rest and relaxation so soon!

Final push until the end of the semester! Post-workout at the ERAU Fitness Center!

I’ve been reminiscing on the past years a lot lately. Will I miss college life? What does the real world look like? Am I prepared for what comes next? My time at ERAU has been one of the most challenging and rewarding experiences I’ve taken part in thus far. Looking back at myself from freshman year to now, I’m a completely different person! I’ve grown so much, become so much more confident, and have learned so much not only academically, but about myself as a person too.

College gives you the freedom to make your own schedule, study, eat, and sleep whenever you want! College also gives you the opportunity to learn the importance of balance, time management, and self care – especially during particularly stressful or busy portions of the semester (shoutout Finals Week). Nonetheless, I am so grateful for everything I’ve had the chance to experience in my time as a Resident Advisor, Orientation Team Ambassador, on SGA Student Court, as a University 101 Peer Mentor, working on campus as a Undergraduate Student Researcher at the Eagle Flight Research Center, and in Air Force ROTC.

One of the (many) early mornings before sunrise on the way to ROTC training!

Advice I was given as a freshman was – try everything! Then cut back as you figure out what you like the most and prioritize what you can make time for. Going into my final semester, I’ve cut back the most on almost all extracurricular involvement to focus primarily on academics and ROTC – aka graduation and commissioning. I’ve learned there will never be enough time in the day to accomplish everything, but it’s extremely important to learn yourself well enough to know when you need sleep over staying up to finish a homework assignment. My ERAU experience has been academically rigorous, stressful, busy, and at the same time fun, I’ve made some life long friends and memories I will never forget, and I am a stronger and better person than I was when I started. I look forward to concluding finals in the beginning of May and will be signing out with one more blog post to follow! Keep on keeping on folks, will report back soon!

The Final Countdown

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From late nights in the College of Business computer lab to early mornings in the library, Riddle has become a home away from home. I’ve laughed, cried, and have grown as a person. Friends have become family and clubs have become a day-to-day must. This, and so much more, has made my collegiate experience one worth remembering. Despite it all, I am counting down the days! As of today, I am 113 days away from graduation on May 7th and I couldn’t be more excited.

As I look back at last semester, I have to really take pride in my hard work. I attended the Organization of Black Aerospace Professionals 41st Convention in Orlando.

ERAU OBAP members and myself take a picture with our advisor, Dr. Nancy Lawrence, and  fellow alumni.

I also got to present my own research in October at the The Popular Culture Association in the South and the American Culture Association in the South Conference. This was a huge milestone for me personally. I’ve never conducted research before, so to present among others in communication and literature was a huge honor.

PCAS/ACAS was hosted in Savannah, Georgia

I designed my first mission patch as well, through Space Tango for our payloads on SpaceX CRS- 13!

SpaceTango SpaceX CRS-13 took place in December and was the last customer launch of 2017.

I even got to utilize this research later on in Dr. Silverman’s Contemporary Issues in Science (HU 302). The final exam allowed students to communicate in an array of media including papers, videos, and even a painting. I’ve been too busy to paint in my free time, so I eagerly informed Dr. Silverman I would illustrate the findings of my research through a painting.

“Hush, Hair” is the result of a qualitative approach to my research “Hair Talks, but do we Listen?” that consisted of a 7-woman focus group in which participants shared their struggles, origins, and perception of their natural hair dialogues within the workplace.

All-in-all, I spent last semester experiencing new things, networking (as usual), and finding a way to bridge my interests with my work. I think we can find enjoyment in just about anything if we make it so. As this new year starts, I look forward to maintaining the same open mind in my new courses and throughout the infamous grad school/job hunt. Step-by-step, right?

⋆ Dani

Casual Science

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I spent the last three years networking. I met everyone I could. Hell, I even looked into fields that had nothing to do with my interest in space. If I could at least develop a connection with a representative, then I would have a source, an ‘in.’ This year, that ‘in’ paid off.

Walking into the Space Tango office was unreal. I'm excited to be taking my first real steps towards accomplishing my goals.

Walking into the Space Tango office was unreal. I’m excited to be taking my first real steps towards accomplishing my goals.

I’m now an intern at Space Tango, Inc. in Lexington, Kentucky. I work reasonable hours for solid pay. The environment is amazing, and my coworkers are helpful. I’m also getting credit hours for this and we all know that’s a great bonus. It’s science, but it’s casual.

As a communication major at an aeronautical university, everyone wonders “how do those even fit together?” Honestly, I asked myself the same thing before I switched my major. Communication is more than writing a few technical reports or manuals. I personally would like to do public relations for an aerospace company. Ha. How often do you hear of that? Well that’s the thing; you don’t hear about it at all. Being the stubborn woman that I am, I made it an option before someone could tell me otherwise.

I knew nothing about pursuing such a career in science, so I found someone that did. The communication department is flooded with individuals that specialize in writing, speech, behavior, etc. Never forget that they were all somewhere before Riddle. My advisor helped shape my classes for my desired career path and another amazing professor shared her experience in the competitive field of public relations. This was just step 1.

Step 2 was maintaining a focus in science. I picked up a major in space studies to expand my understanding of anything aerospace (satellites, orbital paths, rocket history, propulsion, and more) and to keep me up-to-date on current events. From there, it all happened on its own. I attended open lectures, forums, anything that would provide me an opportunity for one-on-one interaction with professionals in the aerospace industry.

This was really my last “planned” step, step 3. Even if they weren’t always successful, I familiarized myself with other fields. I learned from people I didn’t think I would. This is how I met Michelle Lucas, an Embry-Riddle alumna and CEO of Higher Orbits.I made it my mission to have her remember me. I emailed her, and when I didn’t hear from her in two weeks, I emailed her again. She finally responded and the conversation flowed from there. She invited me to be a member on the Higher Orbits advisory board as she developed her nonprofit “Go For Launch” program, but I wasn’t beating myself up that I didn’t get a high end co-op as yet. I was building my resources.

I continued to casually work towards my goals as a COM major. I maintained relationships with people that I met over the last few years (astronauts, professors, research scientists, NASA employees, people those of us at Embry-Riddle dream of meeting). I expanded my extracurricular experience ranging from Greek Life to the Caribbean Students’ Association. I got a couple of on-campus jobs that dabbled in marketing. I gained leadership experience and focused on my studies. This was all while my network was growing on its own in the background. My casual encounters and skills that I continuously developed were being now discussed by aerospace professionals. I was commended for my hard work, for my creativity,and my goals. Just as I was getting a little impatient, an opportunity finally arose.

Michelle Lucas informed my advisor of an internship opportunity with a micro-gravity research company in search of a communication student to handle their marketing and public relations. I underwent an interview process and shared the portfolio of my work that I built from all my extracurricular activities. A couple of weeks later, I was invited to join the Space Tango team for the spring semester.

Twitter is one of the digital mediums I handle on a day-to-day basis. I update followers on experiments and launches.

Twitter is one of the digital mediums I handle on a day-to-day basis. I update followers on experiments and launches.

My networking paid off. I’m spending my spring semester surrounded by engineers, live feeds from the ISS, and constant news and updates on the SpaceX launches. I’m currently working on media coverage for Space Tango’s payload for CRS-10. I not only control their social media, but I develop media alerts and press releases.

My name is Danielle Rosales. I’m a senior communication major with minors in business administration and space studies. I don’t have an outstanding 3.0 GPA, but I’ve held several jobs on campus in marketing, media relations, and graphic design. I’ve developed a reliable network and have been mentored by Embry-Riddle faculty members.

I’m right where I wanted to be doing something people didn’t even think was possible. The best part of it all? Getting here was all so casual.

⋆ Dani