Abby Ragsdale (Raymond) is making her "success" march as well. Since August of 2019, she has been flying for the aviation department of Steelcase, a century-plus-old enterprise headquartered in Grand Rapids that, with 12,000 employees, has grown far beyond its origins as a maker of office furniture and equipment.

Anthony was not your typical fresh-faced student after the ink dried on his Navy discharge papers.  While he knew avionics inside and out, he believed he needed to learn more about aircraft engines and the science of flying. Close to his Gull Lake home was the College of Aviation with its "reputable" program in aviation maintenance.

Tierney's degree in aviation science and administration came in 2014.  While working toward a 2017 master's in public administration, she initially retained her College of Aviation recruiting adventures until she had an opportunity to fly solo in that sphere as the No. 1 headhunter for the WMU College of Arts and Sciences.   All of which has prepped Tierney for the current post in her chosen profession -- a pilot recruiter for Republic Airways' LIFT Academy.  

When it came to a career in aviation, Alexis Brown always seemed to know she was on the right "track." During their college careers, her parents competed in that sport and, listening to their stories about travels and meets while growing up, she wanted to follow in their spike marks as well. Good enough as an athlete at LakeVille Memorial High School in Genesee County, Brown earned a track-and-field scholarship to Western Michigan University. The aviation part of the equation was spawned a little earlier when Brown was a youngster in her hometown of Otisville, a small hamlet northeast of Flint.

Epplett spent about nine years at the WMU College of Aviation as a student and staff member. He earned a bachelor's in aviation science and administration in 2012 and, while employed by Western, added a master's in sports management in 2015. He joined the College of Aviation's recruitment and outreach team right after his first degree was hanging on the wall. Since then, he has joined Kalitta Air, based at Willow Run Airport in Ypsilanti on the east side of the state, as an international flight-clearance coordinator.