Through a scholarship provided by AFROTC, I was able to begin flight training and earn my Private Pilot License, which tested my leadership and communication skills in a fast paced, high responsibility environment. Communication had to be perfect and clear. You could not miss a call or ask for someone to repeat themselves. Fuel, mileage, and time calculations required attention to detail, understanding of fundamental engineering principles, and constant risk assessment.

After I received my license, I enjoyed applying what I learned in the air in class. The tangible experience of flying and feeling the forces acting on you made Physics II and thermodynamics problems a lot easier to understand. When taking human factors engineering, I pondered about how the airplane control panel was designed to reduce mistakes when pilots are fatigued and stressed. I did not immediately realize how this opportunity deepened my classroom learning.

Other than school, aviation has taught me how to think critically under pressure, and a whole lot of time management. Ground school takes a lot of time and there are many laws to learn, on top of my regular engineering studies. Though I do not fly currently, I use my skills to aid other in the AFROTC program and help other cadets get involved and help explain ground school concepts. There are a lot of tricks to get your PPL as fast and as cheap as possible, and it helps to have someone guide you through it.