Tag Archives: ERAU

Cherie Gambino Aerospace Engineering

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Hello, everyone! I’m Cherie Gambino, an Embry-Riddle Prescott student from a small town in California. I came to this school for two reasons: Air Force ROTC and Engineering. So far, I’m loving my experiences here. The people are amazingly sweet, the campus is gorgeous and AFROTC is a blast. My best choice to date has been coming to this school.I think my overall favorite experiences have been climbing inside a wind tunnel, building rockets, and being able to tour the campus’s crash lab, all as a freshman student!

In my University 101 class, my professor allowed me to climb inside a wind tunnel because I had been begging him to let us tour them.  It was also during this class that we toured the crash lab, which is basically a field full of old plane wreckage that is set up comparably to the original crashes so that students can study the sites and try to establish the probable causes of the crashes. Because of the University 101 class and other great freshman programs at Embry-Riddle, I have discovered so much about this campus and have met some incredible people who I am sure will become long lasting friends as I pursue my career as an engineering officer in the U.S. Air Force.

Prescott Campus

I encourage anyone who is interested in Embry-Riddle to tour the Prescott campus since it is simply beautiful here, there are many programs to explore, clubs to join, and facilities for students to use. Even though I had never toured the campus myself before my first day here, I have fallen in love with this school and also the state of AZ. Because I love this campus so much, I am very excited to have the opportunity to blog about my experiences as a freshman student of the Aerospace Engineering Program, Air Force ROTC, and Air Force ROTC Honor Guard. If you have any questions or would like to know more about me, feel free to ask.  I am happy to share with anyone and would love to get to know more about you!

Maddie Roy, Junior, BS Global Security and Intelligence Studies

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Hello there! My name is Maddie Roy, and I’m a native Prescottonian enjoying my junior year here at ERAU. I’m currently in the Global Security and Intelligence Studies (GSIS) program with a minor in Aviation Business Administration, and I’m also a helicopter flight student.

 

My journey leading up to this semester has been a little bit complicated. I took classes here at Embry-Riddle during my senior year of high school, including Introduction to GSIS. I then spent my freshman year at the University of Arizona in Tucson studying Engineering. That

My dad (left) and my flight instructor (right)

didn’t really work out for me so I decided to come back to study GSIS at Embry-Riddle, which I love. Coming from an aviation family and going to an aviation school rubbed off on me and I decided I wanted to get my private pilot license for airplanes, which I did this summer. That got me inspired about aviation and I decided that I wanted to pursue a career in aviation, but this time while flying helicopters! So I started helicopter training this fall and I couldn’t be happier. You might be wondering how I am going to fit that all into one career. To tell you the truth, I have been wondering the same thing. But I figure, being young and having these opportunities afforded to me, there is no better time to follow your passion.

When I’m not studying Chinese characters or memorizing emergency procedures, I like to take advantage of the abundance of activities that nature provides for us here in Prescott. I also work in the Admissions Department as a Tour Guide/Campus Ambassador, leading tours around our campus and flightline, and sometimes traveling to events with our admissions counselors. Having had a fairly unique college experience, I hope to be able to shed some light for those of you out there who are also coming to Embry-Riddle under a unique set of circumstances.

Winter in Prescott!

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After the summer weather of +70 F, the next season to hit the campus is winter. Yes, I know that fall season should fall in between summer and winter, but it is more of a sharp transition.

The first snowfall here at ERAU was on November 18th. There was occasional snow in between then and the last week of November, but on December 1st, the clouds dumped snow by truckload. Most of the time, the snow does not stick and is mostly gone by noon the next day. However, the storm dropped temperatures enough (at least to 10 F) so that there is still snow over a week later! Here is a picture of snow over Prescott from my flight yesterday.

My group of friends and I went to the annual City of Prescott Tree Lighting Ceremony in downtown and the lights plus snow created the perfect winter wonderland image. Here is a picture of our group downtown!

And here are two pictures of the courthouse all lit up!

Hopefully we will get more snow because it puts you in a good mood for winter!

Goodbye Sophomore Year and HELLO SUMMER!

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I recently realized that I am half way through my college years, how exciting! Time flew by so fast, it is incredible to know that I only have two years to go. I have been very blessed with good classes and a job here on campus. I have had a lot of fun with my friends and professors. I learned quite a bit and I am happy that I switched my major from Aviation Business to Global Security and Intelligence.

Finals went well. Every one was extra stressed for the week of finals, including me. I feel like I was a little more relaxed about finals than most, but I was still a little nervous. I knew what my grades were going to be even before I took my finals though. I ended up getting A’s in Social Psychology, Observing Asian Cultures, and History of Terrorism. I got B’s in Foreign Policy and International Relations. A few months into these classes, I knew which grades I would probably end up with. I will give my advice and evaluations on these classes. I think it may help prospective GSIS students.

I knew I was going to get a B in this class as soon as I got my first essay grade back. I messed up a lot on this essay. I did not give myself enough time to proof-read it. After that essay, my grades in my exams and later essays kept increasing, but I knew it was too late to get an A. So, I tried my hardest to make sure I could get a B. Professor Trombley was an amazing teacher, but she is leaving Embry-Riddle. But I still advise incoming students to try not to procrastinate. Write the essay a few days before and get someone to proof-read it.

In international relations I had Dr. Jones, GSIS Chair. He is an awesome guy and a good professor, but his assignment due dates continue to change. He would tell us the original assignments and due dates, but later it would be something else. He is very lenient and helpful though. He is very understanding and super knowledgeable. It was a good class overall. I would suggest skimming over ALL the chapters, otherwise you will not do well on the exams.

Social Psychology was so much fun. I learned a lot in Professor Lohn’s class. This was my third class with her, and I enjoyed it even more than her other classes. She is very understanding and enjoyable. She tries hard to make her class more interesting by adding experiments and videos. She also gives out a lot of extra credit. If you are ever struggling, just talk to her and she will help you to succeed!

Observing Asian Culture was very interesting, but it was so difficult to be in that class for 2.5 hours. It started at 6:30 and ended at 9PM. This class made me realize that I do NOT want any more night classes. I thought I disliked early classes, but I would rather get my classes over with instead of having to go back to campus to take a class. If you enjoy Asian culture and if you can handle a late and long class, this is an awesome class. Our finals consisted of a presentation and a 5-10 page essay. It was a lot of fun, but it was a challenge every Thursday night to get the energy to go to the class. (Never missed a class, even though sometimes I wanted to. ha ha.)

And the last class was History of Terrorism. This class was very interesting. We learned a lot about how terrorists operate and I feel more knowledgeable about current events, especially when terrorists are involved. Dr. Vuk was my professor and he is very intelligent, however; he is retiring. He is a nice man, but sometimes he would talk in gibberish, it was hard understanding what he was teaching at times. But it was still fun.

The main advice I have for incoming GSIS students is that you got to brush up on your history and current events. Start reading and writing more, so you can begin to enjoy it. And do NOT procrastinate, it could cost you your grade. This major is a lot of fun, and there is a little something for everyone. Personally, I love psychology the most, while others love to learn more about different U.S. policies and tactics. Just give it some time, you will come to realize what you love.

Now it is summer, that means it is time to relax and get ready for the last few years of college. I am staying here in Prescott to work at the campus in admissions office. I enjoy being here with good company and great friends.

I wish everyone a wonderful summer and I cannot wait to meet the new students and to greet the returning students in the fall. Take care and be safe!

I graduated!

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I graduated this past Saturday! It is a surreal experience and still feels like I have classes to attend but the reality is that I don’t! I’m done forever!!!! Well that is until I go and get my masters if I so decide to do so. The ceremony was great. It did go a little long because the class of 2011 has been the largest class to gradate ERAU-Prescott in over 10 years and also statistically was the smartest class to have entered ERAU Prescott ever. A total of 268 people graduated, many of them with jobs already. Some are going to get their masters, and the rest are seeking employment. As you know, I got a job with Grand Canyon Airlines and I start with them May 17th. I honestly, cannot wait. Hopefully some day you will be an ERAU graduate and join the just broken 100,000 strong mark network of alumni. Once you go out to the industry, you will see ERAU Alumni everywhere and this I say with certainty since I did meet a lot of Alumni when I worked at Delta Air Lines. Hope you enjoy the pictures below!

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Best Final Ever

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So I jut got home from a great final. Yes it’s late but worth it! We had a joint project between my capstone ATC class and the Electronic flight management (EFMS) class. The project was the EFMS class would fly the aircraft as the students in the Air traffic control lab controlled them. We where all hooked up via our very own Embry-Riddle Virtual Airspace (ERVA) so we all were in the same airspace (sort or like an xBox live sort of set up). So what I had to do as a controller was to control aircraft leaving and arriving into Albuquerque. It was stressful at times since you had to sequence the aircraft correctly so they wouldn’t hit each other or the ground. It was the best final I have ever taken. So much fun and the professor is soooo cool. His name is Brent Spencer and he used to work as an Air Traffic Controller for many years and always shares great stories with us while trying to teach us some good points all at the exact same time. It’s a very fun minor. Anyways, it’s late and I just thought I should share that knowledge with you all. TTYL!

Embry-Riddle Prescott~ Preview Day

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I cannot believe Preview Day has already passed by. I remember how stressed everyone was for the weeks leading up to this big day. All the staff members were working their tails off to get work done and to get things setup for Preview day. The students were working hard to get pamphlets put together and name tags organized. The school even bought us all pizza so we would not leave at lunch time. Everyone put in time to help make preview day run smoothly.

For me, it all started at 6am in the morning. I arrived on campus and went into the visitor’s center. I saw that Stacy needed help with breakfast, so I cut fruit and bagels and tried my best to help prepare the meal for the rest of the students and staff. We did not have any napkins or paper towels so I drove over to Fry’s, in the Embry-Riddle  Subaru, and picked up the few items. When I got back, there were SOOOO many employees in the conference room eating breakfast. I finally grabbed a plate and had to eat it quickly in order to make it to my morning shift.

I got to blow up balloons with a handful of people. I was super happy because one of my closest friends was with me, Liesl. And I also enjoyed our supervisors, Bobbie and Gini, since I work with them daily. The helium tank was fun, but tying the balloons was painful! My fingers got sore real quick. After we filled up a lot of balloons, we had to go throughout the campus and tie balloons up in special spots. Liesl and I were balloon buddies and got to work together. It was a blast. Most fun I had on a mandatory Riddle work day hands down. We tied balloons up everywhere!

Afterward, we helped set-up tables and more balloons in the Student Union, where all the clubs were going to be. This was also fun since I ended up starting my first trend ever this day! ERAU has these awesome airplane paper clips, and I got everyone to wear one either on their color or name tag. It was awesome! We all had a blast.

Then it was time for my afternoon shift. I was a driver. Unfortunately, I only got to drive a handful of times. It was pretty quite this semester when it came to tours. (We actually had almost 200 students and 500+ people attend Preview Day) After it hit 3PM Jason and I ran around and popped balloons and cut them down. We had some fun at the end of a long work day.

All in all, it was really long and hectic, but Preview Day was still worth it. We had fun and enjoyed ourselves, and we got to help new students feel welcomed. I would definitely do it again. :]

Spring Break is over :(

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I cannot believe how fast that went. Brussels, Bruges, Amsterdam, Las Vegas, and now school…again. Not saying school is bad,  but it’s really hard to beat this European Adventure. I had a great time and got really close with the people I traveled with. Only 45 days left until I graduate and I can’t wait! All I got to do is finish my classes, and flight and then done!

I mentioned in my first sentence that I also went to Las Vegas this last week. It was a last minute thing and I went on a recruiting trip with the Admissions office. I left the next day after we got back from Europe and came back to Prescott yesterday. Doing this recruitment event, I got to meet families and accepted students and shared with them how fun, educative, and interesting our school is. Now I’m not going to recruit you reading this, well at least not yet :), but I just wanted to share how enthusiastic those students were. They reminded me of when I was deciding for schools and also of the experiences that I have lived here at ERAU. These experiences are so valuable to me and so important that it is going to be hard to graduate this Spring. I have learned s much and this school has shaped me so well as an individual, both as a student/employee and as a man. I owe so much to this school for what it has done to me. I really hope that the students that were at the reception saw how great Embry-Riddle is. This is the best decision I have done in my life so far, attending Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University.

Amsterdam!

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We have been in Amsterdam since Monday night. My first impression is that it was not as great went I went to it last summer. The people do seem a little more apprehensive than before. Maybe it’s the cold. Either way, Amsterdam has been fun. We have gone to see the Van Gough Museum, Anne Frank’s house (where she hid during WWII), the Heineken Brewery, went shopping for the girls (the ones that went on the trip with us), and did some regular sight seeing ending with nights at the local bars and brew pubs meeting the locals. This is our last day here and I don’t want to go back, well maybe for the free refills but not anything else. Yes, free refills. Anywhere in Europe we went, if we wanted more of a drink, like soda or water, we had to pay more for it. Our guess was because they don’t have fountain drinks like we do but just the bottles. Either way, not having a free refill is really hard during meals especially when I drink a lot during meals.

A quick story before I go back out to see another museum in Amsterdam, when we went to the Heineken Brewery, the cashier that gave us our tickets to go in, he knew what Embry-Riddle was! Amazing right! halfway across the world and they know about ERAU. He knew because one of his friends went to the Florida campus, that’s when we told him that he should have attended the Prescott campus :). Funny how small this world is, someone all the way in Europe knowing about Embry-Riddle. Anyways, got to go! TTYL! Next time it will be states side though!

Spring Break!

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So   my first day of Spring Break and in one hour me and three friends are going to Europe for Spring Break! Now we are not by any means rich kids but we found a great deal that we couldn’t pass up! It was $300 round trip ticket to Amsterdam and back! Amazing right! I really like the people that I am going with so it should be a fun trip. Now I need to get ready for the 2 hour ride to Phoenix. That’s one thing, ERAU is 2 hours away from a major airport. This can be both good and bad. Good because by not having a major airport close to Prescott, the city is always quieter, not a lot of people all while living a large town life. The bad thing is the 2 hour ride to/from Phoenix especially after a long flight. But honestly, I think it’s worth the drive for the sort of lifestyle that Prescott offers. Nice outdoor peaceful but yet actively lifestyle. Anyways, time to finish getting ready TTYL!