Cheering Up a Career in Aviation Technical Operations with Katelyn Mobley
Nothing wrong with enrolling at the college of your choice without any particular career plan, and then taking action once you get your bearings. In Katelyn Mobley's case, they ended up being ball bearings that are part of the components of an airplane. Now a sophomore majoring in aviation technical operations in the WMU College of Aviation, Mobley admits that she was always interested in planes and what makes them fly while growing up in the Chicagoland suburb of Algonquin, but none of that initially pointed her to a career choice.
Propellors, Powerplants, and Passion: Mason Mihelich’s Pursues a Career in Aviation Maintenance
Taking a trip up into the clouds as a senior in high school was more than just a joy ride for Mason Mihelich. It pointed the sophomore from Elgin, Ill., toward Western Michigan University and charted a career path in aviation technical operations. He's already more than just taking classes and "networking." He's hands-on involved, thanks to an internship at Kalitta Air's air-cargo operations at O'Hare in Chicago where he has been a "mechanic's helper" working on Boeing 747s and 777s.
From Oman to Aviation to America – Amna AI Bulushi Finds Her Fit in Aviation Management and Operations
Amna Al Bulushi is well on her way to fashioning a rewarding life in the aviation industry. But if those plans ever come undone, she could carve out a successful career in . . . fashion. A citizen of the nation of Oman, Al Bulushi can credit her passion for the industry and her opportunity at the WMU College of Aviation -- where she is a senior majoring in aviation management and operations -- to a family friend and some advice from the Sultanate of Oman Embassy.
From Kent (WA) to Kalamazoo (MI), Jennifer Nguyen’s Medallion Journey Takes Flight
Put yourself in Jennifer Nguyen’s flight shoes. Her grandparents and immediate family were on the wrong side of the Vietnam War, which forced many of their peers to leave the home country. . .or else. That’s kind of how Nguyen eventually ended up at Western Michigan University as a double major in aviation flight science and aviation management and operations. She never featured a rock-centered eye on an aviation career — just an awareness that something had to, or was going to, happen.
AFROTC, Ambassador, and Aviation – Avery Bush Accelerates Toward a Career in the Air Force
Avery Bush, now a senior, joined the Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps (AFROTC) almost as soon as he stepped on the Western campus, admittedly not knowing where it all could lead. "It seemed like something fun to try," he says. His was a quick decision to stick it out. And a good one. "I have been given so many opportunities with the Air Force over the last three-plus years that I would not have been able to get anywhere else."
Career Cruising with Kurt Kraczon – Laying the Foundation for a Successful Career in Aviation Management and Operations
Like for many Americans, Covid 19 did a pretty good job of "taketh away" for Kurt Kraczon, but it also did a bit of "giveth" for the WMU College of Aviation junior. Raised in Portland, an Ionia County community of about 4,000 folks northwest of Michigan's capital city of Lansing in the middle of the Lower Peninsula, Kraczon had most of his junior and senior years in high school impacted by the pandemic. But instead of sitting on his hands with a "woe is me" attitude, he decided to gain some insightful and practical experience prior to enrolling in the college as a major in aviation management and operations.
Who’s the Bos – in the world of Aviation it will soon be Joseph!
"What you know" enhances any resume and "Who you know" can also be a positive factor in a job search. Joseph Bos has tapped into both. A junior at the WMU College of Aviation majoring in aviation management and operations, Bos is currently interning at Denver International Airport. with the Airside Operations Group entity based there. The graduate of Calvin Christian High School in Grand Rapids is on track to receive his Bronco degree in the spring of 2025.
Cole and Alec Hoffman: Brothers in Arms and Aviation
Enrolled students and alumni judge the WMU College of Aviation to be "like family" because of its welcoming and caring environment. For the Hoffman brothers, it actually is. Alec Hoffman is new on campus as a freshman majoring in aviation flight science. Brother Cole, as a senior, has wrapped up that major's degree requirements. Both plan to follow in the footsteps of their father, Bill Hoffman who is a Captain at Delta Air Lines.
First Year Fun and Medallion Scholarship Success: Makenzie Russell Ascends at WMU Aviation
If more athletes were like Makenzie Russell, the slur of "dumb jock" would disappear from the American lexicon. A freshman at the WMU College of Aviation, she is an avid hockey player and was awarded Western's prestigious Medallion Scholarship for her academic prowess. Not only was she the captain of her women’s club team from 7th grade until her high school sophomore year (when she advanced to a higher female division), she also joined the men’s hockey team at Homewood-Flossmoor High School south of Chicago during that same time.
Any Einstein Can Fly a Plane. It takes a Special Kind to Jump Out of One – the SkyDive Broncos!
This kind of aviation experience is different -- really different. You lift off of the ground, compliments of the laws of physics and the miracle of applied technology. You return to terra firma, compliments of human courage and another application of physics -- the science that comes into play when you jump out of that plane -- with a thing called a parachute strapped on your back -- and either artistically plummet or gently float toward earth.