From Abu Dhabi to the World: Why I Chose WMU's College of Aviation

Published by Shelbi Tierney on Mon, Mar 02, 2015

From Abu Dhabi to the World: Why I Chose WMU’s College of Aviation
Diogene De Souza
Aviation Management & Operations 

I harbored a passion for aviation from a very young age, and the thrill of travelling would overtake me days before we even set off, rendering me excitable and leaving my mother with the task of calming me down and getting me to fall sleep. Fortunately, the sleepless pre-travel nights are a thing of the past, but my passion for aviation has not diminished one bit. I still cannot resist watching the activity on the tarmac and thinking of how I am making my dreams come true by immersing myself in the amazing world of aviation.

Travelling through an airport was an experience I enjoyed and always wished I could do more often, but never really thought of turning into a career. As the title to this article might suggest, I am an international student. I am Portuguese, but was born in a former Portuguese Colony, Goa, on the west cost of India. When I was four, my family moved to Abu Dhabi, in the United Arab Emirates and lived there until I moved to Kalamazoo to attend Western Michigan University in August 2013. The advantage of having family living in other countries was that I got to travel at least once a year, and this unconsciously helped fuel my passion for aviation.

When I got into high school and began applying to universities, I considered majoring in computer science or aerospace engineering until I went to a college fair and met a representative from International Admissions and Services at Western Michigan University. This was when I learned WMU had an aviation program, and specifically, an air traffic control program – something that I thought I would like to pursue. This was also the point at which I realized that aviation was something I had a passion for, albeit a passion I had ignored for quite a while.

I soon learned that the AT-CTI program that WMU offered was a precursor to the Air Traffic Training Program in Oklahoma City, and that one needed to be a U.S. citizen to pursue this further training. However, I was still determined to study aviation. I applied to Western, and was accepted into the Aviation Management and Operations Program.

I was also accepted to the University of North Dakota’s Aviation Program, and that’s where it got difficult because I had to choose between two great aviation programs, both with a lot to offer. Making a decision on where to go to University was not one that I took lightly. In fact, it took me nearly 2 months to come to my final decision – a nerve-wracking experience, but a rewarding one nonetheless. My final decision was based on multiple factors, one of which was, oddly enough, the severity of winter where the university was located. The one thing, however, that had me sold on Western as a university was the professionalism and helpfulness of their staff.

I also had a chance to look at the College of Aviation’s curriculum guides and was impressed with the classes offered, particularly those on Airport Operations, and the Aviation Administration Senior Project. For an aviation geek like me, the very idea of learning the ins and outs of an airport operation and getting to plan my own airline and run it through a simulation was a dream come true. I informed Western of my intent to attend, applied for and received my visa, and jetted off on my first trip to the United States.

Once I began classes at Western, I realized how different the worlds of General Aviation and Commercial Aviation were. The College of Aviation, a general aviation operation, is amazing because of its relatively small size. We are the smallest college at WMU, but I think we are the most close-knit because you know nearly everyone by face, if not by name. This environment fosters a lot a friendships and professional relationships that you would not necessarily be able to build in a larger environment.

Confucius’ famous saying still rings true today: ‘Choose a job you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life’. To put it simply, coming to Western Michigan University’s College of Aviation was the best decision of my life. Here, I found dedicated faculty and staff, great facilities, and an amazing fleet of airplanes, all of which come together into an encouraging and passionate community of people willing to share their knowledge and help me further my goals. I chose to ‘Grab the Reins’, and I’m loving every second of it.