The summer of 2024 was filled with internships, class time, job interviews, working and saving, flight instructing and more for the most recent group of CJP Scholars. Oh, and there was some time for relaxation, too, and good thing – Because if the past few months have been any indication, the Fall semester looks to keep them even busier!
Emma Kirschenheiter
The past few months have been life changing, extremely busy and unexpected. Back in my spring semester, I was mostly in Daytona with a structured schedule at school, working hard in my classes and in my CFI flight training. But my summer thus far has been quite crazy.
To start, on May 4th I left for the beautiful city of Athens with my overpacked suitcase and an excited smile. My trip to Greece was beyond anything I could have imagined, and I would do anything to go back in time and do it all again. Within the thirty days I spent in Greece, I saw many extraordinary things, I met new and inspiring people, some that are now my close friends, I visited breathtaking places, and I made memories that will last me a lifetime.
I took two classes, Airline Operations and Humanities, and they were not your average classes. Over the course of a month, my classroom was in caves, restaurants, on boats, city halls, and with Aegean Airlines of course. It was surreal. I have been home for about two months now, and I still find myself reminiscing and thinking of the many laughs and memories of my time abroad. Every friend and family member that I have seen since my time back home has asked me about my trip, and each time I am just as excited to tell them all about it.
In the second week of July, I was given the amazing opportunity to work with Pfizer’s corporate flight line in their two day externship. I was able to talk to and learn from almost all of their fixed wing and rotor wing pilots, I learned about their culture and company goals, and I received a tour of their facilities and flight line. It was an amazing experience, and it really opened my eyes to a new side of corporate aviation.
Each summer since I turned 16 years old, I have worked at the Davis Park Ferry Company. I started as a junior deckhand, then became a senior deckhand, and I have now been a Captain for two years as of this August. Although running a ferry is not quite the same as flying a plane, you would be amazed at the many similarities there are between them. As I run across the Great South Bay to and from Long Island and Fire Island, I find myself applying the knowledge I have gained in my pilot training to my experiences and challenges I am faced with as a Captain.
I truly believe that everything happens for a reason, and with each new thing I learn in life, I take it with me. In Greece I was given so many new experiences, and I will take what I have learned and apply it to my future in both my personal and professional life. Getting involved in and learning about different cultures other than my own has opened my eyes to see life from a different point of view. Working with Pfizer has made me even more hopeful and excited for my future career as a pilot.
There are so many wonderful people out there who want us young pilots to succeed, and that makes it even more worth fighting for. And gaining more experience as a ferry captain inspires and excites me to start working at my school as a CFII. I love teaching, whether that be my new junior deckhands, or soon enough my very own flight students. All of these opportunities have taught me different types of respect for myself, others, and the world. I am so grateful for all of my experiences over the past few months, and I cannot wait for what the future holds. This fall semester marks my last full year as an ERAU student and begins with my CFII and multi engine training. I can’t wait!
Jackson Nadeau
When recently asked about my plans and career goals for my future, it really made me pause and ponder what was most important and what has influenced my life meaningfully thus far.
With only one year left at Riddle, I intend to maintain my 4.0 grade point average, excel both academically and in flight, and graduate at the top of my class this upcoming May. Outside of the classroom I have an untamable desire for adventure, to lead by example and a love for giving back to the community. I plan to earn my CFI and CFII certificates the summer after I graduate and begin flight instructing right away. Two years after I graduate my goal is to be established at a regional airline making my way towards the majors! Later in life I hope to be a very well-rounded pilot. I plan to be a lifelong flight instructor, and to give back to the community that so graciously welcomed me! My long-term goals are to be a senior captain in the majors, flight instructor and mentor for aspiring young pilots, and a good father and husband. I also have a very entrepreneurial spirit and would love to run some businesses as I retire from the airlines. My plan is to be primarily aviation focused in my businesses, whether that is an A&P mechanic hanger, flight school, or moving towards something such as fleet management.
This summer has been eventful and productive. I raised all the funding and extra for my mission trip to Puerto Rico and we had our trip in mid-June. Spending about a week and a half abroad, we were able to accomplish so much! We had plenty of projects and worksites, a few of which were performing routine and seasonal maintenance at a local elementary school, running a Vacation-Bible-School for a week, and making major structural repairs to the ceiling and roof in a widow’s house that was falling apart. Although I spent some time at all those sites, most of my time was spent at the widow’s house. Mrs. Rosario was almost eighty years old and lived in a concrete box that posed as a house. The four-inch-thick concrete roof, doubled as a ceiling, with deteriorating sealant on top and a couple layers of paint on bottom. What had happened was the rebar reinforcing the concrete had decayed over time creating pockets in which the concrete broke down. This led to the eventual sudden drop of twenty-something pound pieces of concrete from the ten-foot ceilings at random, or as Mrs. Rosario called it in Spanish, “muerte desde arriba,” meaning “Death from above”. We were able to tear down all the loose pieces, reseal the rebar, and fill the spots back in with new mortar. We also pressure washed her entire roof and resealed it as well as dug a drain for her back yard because the water would pool when it rained. I know the trip was a great success and I’m extremely grateful to have been able to go.
During the remainder of the summer, I have been working and saving money to use for school and flight this upcoming year. Regrettably, I’ve only been able to fly once this summer. This is mainly because I’m saving money for this school year, and I’m very excited to get back to it in a few weeks! As soon as I get back to Embry Riddle, I’ll be practicing my commercial maneuvers and begin preparations for the checkride. I can’t wait to get my commercial certificate and get started on multi-engine as well! While this summer has been lots of hard work, it’s also been very rewarding, and I’m more than ready to take flight again this school year!
Lylith Turner
I hope you all had a healthy, happy summer and kept cool! Since my last report, I have graduated from college and started my first job instructing. In May, I said goodbye to the most challenging but rewarding three years of my life. Throughout my time at Embry Riddle I have had the pleasure to meet some of the most incredible aviators and make lifelong friends. I am very grateful that this scholarship allowed me to continue attending college!
Since graduation, I moved to the Ocala, FL area. Here, I have been instructing at a local flight school. Like most, I was very hesitant to become an instructor. But my mentors really encouraged me to pursue this avenue. I am very glad they pushed me to expand my skills. I really enjoy instructing and seeing my students succeed! This has been more rewarding than I could have ever imagined! I love that I am able to spread my passion to others and mentor the younger generation through teaching.
As of now, I am very happy where I am. I plan to continue instructing until another opportunity arises. My goals in aviation have not changed since my last report. I still dream of flying for a corporate aviation company or even doing Medivac! For the near future, I hope to add multi-engine instructor before the year ends to continue instructing!
As always, thank you for your continual support within my aviation career! Wishing you all blue skies and tailwinds!
Amelia Vaith
Throughout the past few summer months I have stayed quite busy back home in Seattle, WA. Since arriving home in early May, I have logged over 80 hours as a flight instructor, gone on multiple camping trips around the state, attended the PNBAA annual SeaFair BBQ, watched many Mariners baseball games, and started to learn how to play tennis! As I quickly approach graduation this upcoming December, I have become more and more appreciative of my summers at home with family and friends. I hope to continue to find ways to enjoy the summer months in my adulthood and look forward to maintaining the relationships I have built throughout my childhood.
During April, I began a virtual interview process with Galvin Flying based on Boeing Field just north of Sea-Tac Airport. I was offered the job and began my onboarding training in the second week of May, and I have continued to grow as an individual and a pilot since working as a flight instructor at such a complex airport. I have had a range of three to eight students throughout the summer all at different stages in their training. Just recently I had the privilege of helping with a Red Tailed Hawks program hosted by Galvin Flying, which consisted of teaching students between the ages of 15-17 for two weeks. The goal of the program is to teach a student with no aviation experience how to solo by the end of the two weeks. I can proudly say that one of my students achieved the highest score on their ground school test, and another of my students was one of the top scoring students in her class regarding the flight portion of the program. This was an incredible opportunity for me as an instructor to vary my teaching techniques to fit the needs of the student, as well as refresh my knowledge on the basics from my private pilot training.
On my little off time from working at Boeing Field, I was able to go camping at Deception Pass State Park and Steamboat Rock State Park, both located in Washington State. While camping with friends and family I enjoyed fishing, paddle-boarding, swimming, eating s’mores, and hiking. My family and I have been camping annually since I was only two years old, and I hope to continue enjoying the outdoors as I get older. Additionally, I began playing tennis and pickleball frequently with friends and family as a way to stay active outside.
As I approach the final stretch of my journey at Embry-Riddle, where I am set to graduate with a Bachelor’s in Aeronautical Science this December, I find myself reflecting on a summer well spent and the invaluable experiences it has brought me. My time at Galvin Flying has been both professionally enriching and personally rewarding, as I’ve had the opportunity to mentor aspiring pilots and deepen my skills at Boeing Field. The joy of camping, exploring the outdoors, and engaging in new sports has been a refreshing balance to my busy schedule.
Looking ahead, I am excited to complete my multi-engine airplane rating this fall at ERAU, which will further enhance my capabilities as a pilot. I extend my heartfelt thanks to the CJP Scholarship Committee for your generous support, which has played a crucial role in advancing my education and aviation career. Your contribution has not only helped me achieve my goals but also inspired me to strive for excellence in every endeavor.