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.
As a matter of fact, she was initially attracted to the WMU campus in Kalamazoo by its ambiance, not any specific program of study. "I loved the feeling at Western more than any other school I visited," she says. She was so unsure of what she wanted to do with her life that she adopted a different major during her freshman year as a Bronco.
"Prior to WMU," she says, "I was never involved in aviation at all, other than the fact that I liked planes. Upon hearing more about the College of Aviation and its 'tech-ops' program, I knew I had to be a part of it."
That bearing has proven to be right on target for Mobley. "The aviation program stands out to me because it just seems right," she says. "I have always felt welcomed, even when I initially e-mailed the adviser to see whether it was possible to switch into 'tech ops.' I particularly enjoy the class sizes and the fact that you can have good, productive relations with your instructors."
When Mobley heads home, it's not too long a trip. The 30,000-people village of Algonquin is 40 miles northwest of Chicago where she was a member of the 2022 graduating class of Dundee-Crown High School. In its early years, Algonquin served as a quasi-like resort town for folks who wanted to get out of the Windy City for a while.
Still somewhat of a rookie as she works through the "tech ops" curriculum, Mobley cites the program's courses in "Hardware and Fluid Lines" and "Aircraft Inspections," taught, respectively, by faculty members Brian Jansen and Jeremy Hierholzer, and ranks then in the "five-star" strata.
"Especially the lab sections," she says. "It is so rewarding to be doing now as a student what I'll be doing in my actual career. Both instructors have helped me nurture my passion for the industry. I always looked forward to what we would be doing next in class. They always know how to make the 'not-so-fun stuff' -- fun. I have never really done before anything close to what I am doing in my classes. Yet, they have made it possible for me to not only understand what I am doing, but to be able to enjoy what I am doing."
Hierholzer in particular, she says, has spurred a deeper interest in her chosen path. "I have never met an instructor or teacher who is as supportive as he is. He has paved the way to allow me to succeed in the classroom." If she achieves her dream job of working as a certified airframe and powerplant (A&P) mechanic for a major airline, she will credit Hierholzer and his colleagues for getting her there.
There may be another dream-reaching factor in play for Mobley. During a person's college years, extra-curriculars are hard and time-consuming, but they fill out a resume in the eyes of a prospective employer and are a rewarding, enjoyable part of the college experience.
Mobley is a member of the Bronco cheer team, and is not the first College of Aviation student to travel that path. "Being in cheer has been amazing and I look forward to more seasons on the team," she says. "The memories will last a lifetime. Ever since I was on a cheer team back in middle school, I wanted to take that to the college level. It's not easy to balance that with my academic load, but my instructors (like Hierholzer) have been very supportive, allowing me to do what I love to do while pursuing my future career." Part of Hierholzer's support is the fact that he brings his family to Bronco athletic events where he can cheer her activities on the field as he cheers her on in the classroom.
Once in her dream job, Mobley will be able to reflect on what got her there -- two favorite aspects of WMU.
One is the College of Aviation itself. "I love the entire facility and can't imagine a better place to learn," she says. Location, location, location comes to mind. "I enjoy that it is located at an active airport and it is used by all kinds of planes. When a unique plane is spotted on the runway, that's a daily highlight."
A close second to the college and its environment, she says, are the late-summer and autumn football games where she cheers for the Brown and Gold. That is true, she says, no matter the outcome. "Win or lose," she says, "it's always a great experience being on the sidelines cheering for the Broncos."
But what will always be a "win" for Mobley is her decision to head east from Illinois and enroll at Western Michigan University.