Go Hard or Go Home — My Arrival Story

Posted on January 21, 2016 by #ERAUPrescott

I would like to share a piece of advice to anyone reading this blog. I know I am not your friend (I can be though if you leave a comment!) or your parent but if I can help or motive somebody out there it will make me happy.

I was just a kid of 18 years old when I decided to come to some wrestling tournaments in Arizona (remember, I’m from Mexico). The infrastructure behind the tournaments was impressive and right away I really wanted to stay and compete here in U.S. I only could participate in one tournament because they were so expensive. But I won! I won the only tournament that I could afford (thank you to my parents!). In that tournament I caught one coach’s attention (Fernando).

I noticed he was always around to see my matches, so I introduced myself and we exchanged e-mails to keep in touch. “He is a great guy” I thought. After some months of emailing each other, Fernando put in front of me the opportunity that was going to change my life. He asked if I would like to come to U.S. to finish high school and learn English. There are not words enough to describe the feelings that came over me. I said yes right away! The only problem I could foresee was that I did not have any prior or even basic knowledge of the English language. The only two words I knew were “bathroom” and “food” and I think I could not pronounce them correct!

One of the hardest days in my life was leaving my home country. I had to give up friends, family, culture, food, my living style, basically everything I had and I knew for this one single shot of success. It was going to be way more difficult than just trying to “learn a little English and finish high school” as Fernando inferred.

I was under a lot of pressure. In one year I had to get a scholarship, finish high school, and learn more than basic English or I would have to go back to Mexico and leave my wrestling team. Fernando helped me do all the paper work required to get in high school. He had faith in me.

Everyone in the school told me that to graduate from high school, for someone in zero level English, was going to take a minimum of 2 years of special classes. Even my consul said to me, “Carlos, I am sorry to tell you this but finishing high school in one year is not something achievable.” The only thought that came to my mind after everybody told me that what I wanted was impossible was, “No body will tell me what I can or I can’t do, I am graduating!!”

I still remember the first day of classes; it was cloudy, wet and very cold. The school placed me in an English program for level zero English students. I can think of nothing that has challenged me more than the first two months of high school. I could not understand anything in classes or in regular basic situations. I used to get very frustrated in the two regular classes I was taking – Pre-calculus and U.S. History – classes that even for English speakers are complicated. I pushed my self every single day for the next six months. Then suddenly I could understand 60 percent of the whole class. For me that was what I needed to push myself even farther. The next week I went to the principle to tell her that I was dropping the special classes to become a regular student. Regular classes were awful and hard and I wasn’t able to communicate with any professor yet. But finally, when those 12 months were over, somehow, I overcame every single obstacle. I passed all the classes; I passed the state test; I finished the 3 credits I was behind; I got a scholarship; and I graduated. It was one of my happiest days in my life.

This is just a short part of what I have been through. I’m writing this because I would like to reach as many students as I can to tell them that any obstacle, any hard class, any problem can be solved if you want it bad enough. I know Embry-Riddle is not an easy college but it is one of the best. I encourage you to try as hard as you can and eventually you will overcome what is stopping you. If I could graduate from high school without any English knowledge, you can get done whatever you want.

—As my old coach from Mexico always told me ” Go hard or go home.” That’s the best I can translate it.

Have an awesome semester!

5 Tools to Survive Winter in Prescott (especially if you are from Mexico)

Posted on January 21, 2016 by #ERAUPrescott

The last month was one of the coldest months in Prescott. The place I came from is nothing like Prescott. I’m from Mexico – warm weather and beaches. The weather back in my town is never lower than 50 F. Now you can imagine how hard and rough winter has been for me! (Don’t laugh)

I did research about the human body’s spots that lose the heat fastest. I found out that those spots are: hands, head, toes, and the neck. Based on that, the following 5 items are the basic winter equipment everyone should have to survive in Prescott.

1. Waterproof jacket — There are times when Prescott becomes a massive waterfall. A waterproof jacket is necessary.

2. Waterproof boots — Prescott is not known for having a lot of snow but sometimes it dumps (like this year). Waterproof boots will help you to keep your toes dry and warm. I can say that I really needed them!

3. Gloves — Cold hands are not funny, they hurt and the feeling of not feeling them is awful. Get good gloves. They are essential.

4. Warm hat — The research shows that the head is the spot that loses heat fastest. A good hat is very important.

5. Car cover (if you don’t have a garage) — Even with a waterproof jacket, waterproof boots, gloves and a warm hat, you still won’t want to get up early to scrape your car. Get a car cover.

With this basic winter equipment you will survive.

Beautiful snow in Prescott

Top 4 Reasons Why I Love Being a Student and You Will Too!

Posted on January 14, 2016 by Megan

We are back, campus is bustling, and classes are in session. Over break, I was able to enjoy time with my friends and family while enjoying the beauty of the Pacific Northwest. But there was always a little part of me that wanted to come back to Northern Arizona and school. For at least the next four years, my job is to be a student and I rather enjoy it. Don’t get me wrong school is hard and stressful, but it is filled with opportunities and lessons that apply to my future.

Because of this, I am listing my top four reasons I love being a college student:
1. This is the only time in your life you are able to be selfish with your time. You get to decide what you want to do and when you want to do it. I do not have to focus on paying bills, working full time, or many other things. My one priority is school, and I put the distractions in my life there not somebody else.
2. Everything you learn will help you in your future. High school seemed like it was filled with busy work and lessons that would not apply in the future. But now I get to study what I like. My US legal systems teacher is formatting the class to the student’s interests and careers that they would like when they graduate. He is doing this to ensure success and that we are prepared for our future careers and the real world. That’s cool!
3. There are so many opportunities. Whether it is on campus or off campus there are many things to do. Between clubs, organizations, and jobs your days can be as busy as you would like them to be. I have had many opportunities at Embry-Riddle that I never expected, like making great friends, going shooting for the first time, cliff jumping, and experiencing what a life will be like with a career in the Global Security and Intelligence realm.
4. You get used to getting out of your comfort zone. By this, I mean you will have to do things that you do not want to do. For me it is public speaking and putting myself in positions where there is possibility for failure, for others it could be not being accepted in a club they are joining, or any other numerous thing. Everything that takes you outside of your comfort zone is a time where you are learning about not only yourself now but also who you wanted to be in the future. Learning to feel comfortable outside of your comfort zone is a large part of what college teaches you that will help prepare you do the future.

Although school is a lot of work, stressful, and overwhelming, I love being a student. The challenges I face and the people I meet are helping me become a better person and are helping prepare me for the world outside of academia. I am learning to enjoy every step of my college journey, from late nights to early mornings, frustrating teachers to the best teachers, and all the little things in between. Being a college student is a time to challenge yourself, a time to focus on yourself and your future, and a time to help you leave your comfort zone. I have decided to embrace the challenges and try to enjoy every minute of being a college student I can.

Welcome to Spring 2016!

Posted on January 14, 2016 by Cherie

Welcome back everyone and to our newcomers, welcome to Embry-Riddle Prescott! It is a frigid start to the spring semester however, it holds huge potential as all of us have yet another opportunity to shape our futures. I know that the previous statement seems cliche but, the material you learn aids in your job search later down the road. Many students, as long as their GPAs are decent, are picked up by companies based off of the material they learn in college.

As Embry Riddle is ranked as one of the top schools in the U.S. students have an edge on the job market when it comes time to start applying. Essentially, what you put into your studies at Embry-Riddle is what you get out of them. I hope that everyone remembers this when the going gets rough this semester and that it will be a good one!

If you are interested in joining us here at Embry-Riddle Prescott then feel free to check us out by scheduling a visit or calling today! We look forward to hearing from you 🙂

All Wrapped up for the Fall Semester!

Posted on December 21, 2015 by Cherie

It’s official, the semester is finally over and our new graduates are on their way!! (check out our photos)

As everyone heads home for the holidays its a wonderful time of year here in Prescott, AZ and I’m sure we are all ready for a break. However, most students must travel quite a ways to get home so, in order to expedite the trip home and ensure that you do so safely, here are some travel tips!

Get plenty of rest the night before you leave town, especially if you are driving!
If you are driving DO NOT drive more than 6 hours without taking a break. Also remain vigilant as other drivers may not be as good of a driver as you and could cause an accident.
For our flyers, take lots of vitamin C so you don’t catch a cold on those crowded planes.
If you have a place off campus be sure to turn down your heat to 55-60 F, turn off all the lights, close all windows and doors, etc. before you leave.

Brief but, useful tips! I hope that everyone has safe travels back home this year and hopefully we will see our returning students again soon. Thanks for reading everyone!!

A Day in the Life of a Golden Eagle!

Posted on December 11, 2015 by Maddy

Ever since its formation in 1979, The Golden Eagles Flight Team (GEFT, for short) has strived for academic excellence and competitive superiority. As an active member and Public Relations officer, I am truly honored to be a part of a legendary team that has won 9 national championships and 29 consecutive regional championships!

A Brief Background:
GEFT is a competitive intercollegiate flying team that competes with several other collegiate flying teams across America. The competitions are hosted by the National Intercollegiate Flying Association, or NIFA (check out nifa.aero for more info). We practice and compete in several events, both ground events and flying events. Core grounds events include SCAN (Simulated Comprehensive Aircraft Navigation), CA (Computer Accuracy), and ACID (Aircraft Identification). SCAN consists of a timed, 50 minute tests that involves completing a full flight plan (typically at least 3 legs) and answering regulation questions from memory. CA also consists of a timed 50 minute tests that involves the use of an E6-B or a CR-6 manual flight computer used to answer primarily mathematical questions. Finally, ACID consists of identifying 60 random aircraft, with only 3 seconds to look at each aircraft (ACID participants need to be able to identify thousands of aircraft in total!). Other ground events include Crew Resource Management (CRM), Ground Trainer, IFR, and Preflight. Our flying events include precision power-on and power-off landings which are flown in our two 1965 Cessna 150s (Eagle One and Eagle Two), a navigation event flown in ERAU’s Cessna 172’s, and message drop (yes, we drop things out of airplane windows!). Personally, I participate in SCAN, ground trainer, preflight, power-on landings, and navigation.

Each week, we hold practices on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays. However, the most important practice we get each week is on Saturdays, when we hold a day-long practice at the flight line in order to practice both flying and ground events. I’ve documented one of our typical Saturday practice so you can get a glimpse into what it takes to be a national champion. Without further ado, here’s a day in the life of a Golden Eagle!

0700: The day begins with a briefing lead by our captain, Victor Griffin. He goes over our schedule for the day, and our Co-Captain Sam Morris also goes over a few things before we get started.

0800: First off on the agenda is the navigation event! My partner and I were the first team to fly the nav for the day.

As the planner, I get to plan our route before heading out to the plane.

Checking the fuel before we get going!

My nav partner Connor McNicholas is ready to go

Out and about to the West of Prescott

And we’re back!

Waiting around for the fuel truck. And then refueling after our nav

1100: Time to practice some power-on landings! I head out to the line to wait for my slot and judge other teammates’ landings.
RJ Williams judges landings next to 21R. Hit that zero line!

Selfie next to the line with my teammates!

Now it’s my turn to land! While taking off in Eagle Two, I accidentally photobombed Ryan O’Connor’s selfie!

The last couple flyers wrap up landings for the day.

1300: Time for lunch!

1400: Now it’s time to take the SCAN test!

1530: As practice comes to an end, Victor Griffin and Sam Morris debrief us on our performance throughout the day.

But wait, there’s more!

1600: After debrief, I have one more event to practice: ground trainer. A few teammates and I head over to the sim building to get some practice. Flying this week’s sim pattern in the ground trainer

And that’s a wrap! I hope this offered a good glimpse into a typical Saturday practice, and what it takes to be a national champion. For more information on the Golden Eagles Flight Team, check out www.flygoldeneagles.com, and be sure to like our Facebook page for updates on this Spring’s national competition in Ohio. Go GEFT!

1 Semester Down – 7 Semesters to Go

Posted on December 9, 2015 by Megan

It is hard to believe that my first semester of college is over. This semester has brought tears and many joyful moments, late nights and early mornings, as well as amazing friendships and hard goodbyes. College by no means is easy, but it is a crazy adventure that is worth the work.

Looking back, I remember arriving on campus in August scared that I would not make friends and that school would be too hard. But, I came out of my first semester having to say some of the hardest goodbyes to my friends who became family and the knowledge that if I put my mind to it I can be successful in college.

The organizations I am apart of is a major reason why my first semester was spectacular. Being involved in my sorority, Alpha Xi Delta, has helped connect me to other girls on campus and become more involved. I have helped collect cans for the food bank, supported other Greek organizations, and built some great friendships which I am thankful for. The other organization that I have been heavily apart of at Embry-Riddle is Chi Alpha. If you have read my other posts, Chi Alpha is the group I explore and go on my crazy adventures with. I have faced many fears and built long lasting friendships with this group. I know I have said this before, but this semester has truly shown me that getting involved on campus is important.

Friends. This is a major part of what makes college, college. Most of my close friends are a part of the clubs and organizations I am a part of. These are the people I have spent every day with for the past four months and I would have it no other way. Leaving campus to go home for winter break was almost as sad as when my parents left me in August. To send me off, my friends and I opened and seeded a pomegranate, it was an eye opening and fun experience to share with them and definitely messy. Knowing that I will not be able to tell them about my day, or share interesting meals with them, or go hiking in the dells for a whole month was a hard pill to swallow even if it’s only a couple weeks.

Since my life outside of the classroom has been so eventful and wonderful, it makes me loving my major even better. Studying Global Security and Intelligence has been my dream since I was little and having the ability to make that dream a reality has been wonderful. My professors knew who I was and noticed when I was not in class even in my larger (fifty student) class. This is something that surprised and shocked me, but helped drive me to succeed.

Although college is great and I had a wonderful first semester, it was hard. Being homesick, moving away and adjusting to the workload that Embry-Riddle requires was not necessarily easy. Classes where hard and there were many nights where I stayed up past my “bed time” to finish assignments or study, but it is worth it. Facing all the challenges head on helped me have a wonderful first semester, which is a trend I expect to carry on throughout college.

Now that the semester is over and the year is trekking on, I wanted to reach out to incoming or prospective students, if you have any questions regarding Embry-Riddle, the transition from high school to college, or anything in between do not be afraid to ask. It is a big change, but definitely worth the effort. Comment below and I’ll respond when I get back for semester #2.

A Photographic Journey Through the Beauty of Prescott, Arizona

Posted on December 2, 2015 by Colton

In the following blog, Colton takes you on a visual journey through some of Prescott’s most iconic scenery. You can click on the image to view a larger version.

First we start off with Thumb Butte, one of the highest points in Prescott.

Thumb Butte and the surrounding area looks just as stunning in the Winter

Next, we take a look at the lakes near to Embry-Riddle campus (Watson and Willow Lake).

My friends and I often take our multirotors out to the lake for some aerial photos and video.

This is the back of Watson Lake dam

One of my favorite spots in Prescott is Spruce Mountain Lookout. From the top of the mountain you are rewarded with a beautiful view of Prescott below.

Another hidden gym is Prescott’s Lynx Creek system. In winter/spring the creek flows with snowmelt and produces gorgeous scenery.

Our final destination is Prescott’s Downtown Courthouse square. The square presents beautiful colors in the fall as well as spring, and in the winter the entire courthouse and surroundings are covered with Christmas lights. For more info on that see this blog -> https://riddlenationaz.erau.edu/tag/lights/

Included below are a few more photos that showcase some random but amazing scenery surrounding Prescott, Arizona.

And to close it up, a few shots of/around Embry Riddle campus!

If you have any questions feel free to comment below!

-Colton Campbell

Watch Student UAS (Unmanned Aerial Systems) Club

Posted on November 30, 2015 by Colton

In today’s video blog, Colton gives you a glimpse into one of the most popular on-campus attractions for Riddle students… The UAS club!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VEU0xwbdHu0&feature=youtu.be

For more information, comment below to get in contact with someone!

Stay tuned for more exciting videos about life at Embry Riddle and its surroundings.

No Fear – Why I Now Love Arizona!

Posted on November 24, 2015 by Megan

Arizona. If I am being completely honest, I never wanted to live in Arizona. From the sun, the snakes, and no trees I was skeptical and afraid when I moved here in August. But with the fall semester winding down, and my first semester of college wrapping up, I can honestly say that I have fallen in love with Arizona.

For one, Prescott has four seasons and trees. Perfect pool weather in August and chilly fall temperatures that makes my inner Washingtonian smile. I could not be more blessed. I love being able to walk around campus and see the leaves on the ground, with the chill of the fall breeze on my back.

Besides the weather, there are so many adventures to be had! This past week I drove up to Page, Arizona with Chi Alpha and explored two different canyons. Coming from a place filled with trees, I found the bouldering, mountain goating, and crawling through slot canyons to be truly magnificent and different.

Winding through narrow pathways surrounded by beautiful rocks, climbing over boulders that look like a scene from Star Wars, and watching the sunset over the Horseshoe Bend allows you to take a moment and reflect.

Arizona has challenged me, shown me glorious things, and gave me new friendships. The fear of moving to a place filled with cactus, snakes, and sun has left and been replaced with joy, adventure, and friendship.

Don’t be afraid of the unknown or moving to a new state, it will be scary and hard in the beginning, but trust me you are not alone. Soon the fear will be turned into other things, like it has for me, and you will wonder why you were scared in the beginning. It’s time to start a new chapter in your life, time to jump in with two feet, and know it will be worth it!