Emily Jen Is Learning What Makes Aviation Work, on the Ground and in the Air

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BATTLE CREEK, MI – No doubt, Emily Jen is pointed toward a career in aviation.

But she is one of those rare birds who will -- either make the plane technically and mechanically ready to fly or be the person behind the flight controls as the pilot.

Although she is not a dual major in the WMU College of Aviation, Jen, in her senior year in the technical-operations curriculum, has been taking steps toward her flight credentials for a long, long time. Her mother is a licensed pilot.

"She was my first flight instructor," says the native of the northwest-Indiana community of Crown Point -- population around 35,000.  "We get to fly together all the time.  I think that's a very special part of my aviation story.  I like that we are examples of women excelling in aviation.  Representation matters."

Her mom -- Laura Jen -- learned to fly during her college years, graduating from Purdue University with all her ratings.  Flying was in her blood.  Emily's grandfather was a student pilot, while her dad has always been a strong aviation enthusiast.  Even though he doesn’t fly, he loves having two pilots in the family.  With the strong aviation foundation, it wasn’t surprising Jen followed all of their passion into the sky.

Laura's profession for seven years was in aviation, flying cargo planes for Ryan International.  She covered the continent during that time before returning to her roots in northern Indiana to work as a full-time flight instructor, with one of her students being daughter Emily.

Emily's father also loves airplanes but chose a career in finance as did her brother.  A great weekend for the Jen clan is to attend the nearest air show.

A 2024 graduate of Crown Point High School, Jen began taking flight lessons as a 15 year old and soloed as a "sweet 16-er."  In her senior year, she spent her mornings in classes, and her afternoons flying and "being in" a ground school.  With Mom as a pilot, it wasn't long before Jen reached the conclusion that aviation was the career for her.

Why Western?  "I did look into programs at other colleges," she says, "but WMU seemed like the perfect size for me -- smaller class sizes, better student-instructor relationships and hands-on courses.  Plus, I love the state of Michigan.

"People ask me why I chose tech-ops as my major when I want to be a pilot," Jen says.  "I enjoy flying at my home airport, but I still wanted a college degree.  Tech-ops sounded more hands-on than management, and I knew it would help me understand aircraft even better.  It has for sure, and I hope I can pass that on to others."

She complemented her tech-op studies at WMU by taking flight lessons on the side to become a pilot and has earned her flight-instructor credentials.  The immediate step upon graduation will be to work as a flight instructor to build up her resume, and also to earn her A&P (Airframe and Powerplant) license "so I can use it as a side hustle or backup plan."

Her favorite "major" courses were two taught by master faculty specialist Jeremy Hierholzer.  One is nicknamed "Props and Whatnot."  "I liked getting hands-on experience with small aircraft in the labs.  They translated well into my maintenance internship.  It was really cool using what I learned in class in the real world."

Jen's love of her adopted home state is reflected in her favorite non-aviation class -- Geography of Michigan.  "Since coming to Western," she says, "I've traveled around Michigan a lot -- the Upper Peninsula twice, camping in Sleeping Bear Dunes, and enjoying the Silver Lake Dunes.  My most interesting flight was to Mackinac Island."

During her college years, Jen has done some sailing, participated in the university's track club, and engaged in Bible studies.  Over one summer, she had a maintenance internship at her flight school.

"I loved it," she says.  "I got to use the knowledge I garnered in class to the real-life working on the airplanes that I fly.  I also got hired as a CFI after passing my checkride.  So I get to teach in the airplanes and fix them as well."

When Jen is not in her flight suit or handling a wrench hovering over an engine, she is -- depending on the weather -- either running or snowboarding.  "I run almost everyday to de-stress," she says about taking part in local 5-K events or even a half marathon.

"I love snowboarding in the winter as a way to get outside," she says about being a self-taught boarder.  She shares her passion for the activity by serving as a snowboard instructor at Timber Ridge.  "I love to challenge myself and believe that I've gotten much better during my time at WMU."

As she works toward her dream job of piloting for a major airline by strengthening her instructor's resume, Jen reflects on her Western years.  "I've gone to a lot of aviation-career events," she says. "They've helped me make tons of connections and enhance my communications skills.

"But my favorite part is definitely the friendships I've made," she says.  "Being away from home makes you seek strong friendships and I've definitely made them at WMU.  I've had the same friend group since my freshman year.  We've traveled together and forged so many memories.  Two of my best friends are fellow tech-op majors."

And those will be as highly valued as the Western diploma that will someday hang on Emily Jen's wall.