Despite Challenges, Aerospace Engineering Grad Has Her Dream Goals Firmly in Sight

May Maryzana Maginde’s course to becoming a successful aviation industry professional has been defined by her ability to turn obstacles into opportunities.

Thanks to her determination, perseverance and an Aerospace Engineering degree from Embry‑Riddle Aeronautical University, the native of Papua New Guinea is now an Operations Engineer at Hawker Pacific Aerospace and well on her way to reaching her dream of being a flight test engineer.

“I initially wanted to be a pilot,” said May, who graduated in the class of 2019. “But my ears couldn't withstand the pressure differential during descent and landing. Yet, I loved travelling so much, I sat and cried through the excruciating pain of landing. I realized that if I can't fly it, why not know how to build it?”

Growing Up Global

May was born in Port Moresby and her father was a diplomat. That means the family was on the road a lot, and she moved away from her birthplace when she was 6. She’s lived in Malaysia, Belgium and finished high school in the Philippines after her dad retired from public service.

Being uprooted so often and over such long distances was no doubt daunting for her as a youngster, but May’s resolve never wavered. She was a standout student and always stayed focused on her goals.

“I had my eyes on studying in the Netherlands or Australia,” she said. “I got accepted into my dream school of Delft University in the Netherlands and the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology in Australia. But I was 16 when I graduated from high school and neither of these schools offered any types of scholarships. This forced me to sit out a semester while I considered other options. My mother and father came across Embry‑Riddle and urged me to apply. I researched it and found it to be a prestigious school. I applied and ended up getting accepted with a Deans Scholarship and a Women in Aviation scholarship.”

Why International Students Choose the Prescott Campus

That financial aid, coupled with her obvious ability and desire, helped May land on Embry‑Riddle’s Prescott Campus, where students from 40 different nations are studying. She felt at home pretty quickly, and eventually ended up as president of the International Student Association on the campus.

“As cliche as it may sound, I would say the highlight of my Embry‑Riddle experience was meeting friends for life who all share the same passion for aviation as I do,” she said. “All of us come from different walks of life, attending Embry‑Riddle for one purpose and then continuing our own journeys but remaining close friends regardless of distance. The Embry‑Riddle community I was submerged into was a small, close-knit one, and it truly helped with acclimatizing to the U.S.”

Making lifelong friends and building a network of professional connections were just a beginning for May.

“Embry‑Riddle gave me the foundations of aerospace engineering and showed me that there are so many fields that you can go into,” she said.

“The main tool Embry‑Riddle equipped me with was professionalism. The classes I took and the professors who nurtured me through their stories from the professional world taught me about expectations in the aerospace industry. The standard that Embry‑Riddle upholds and the stature it carries as an institution is impressive.”

Professional Challenges and Personal Triumphs

Still, May has had to contend with plenty of challenges along her route and some persist to this day—but she’s ready for them.

“The challenges I have faced so far have been based on the fact that I am an international female of color in the aerospace Industry,” she said. “Racism and sexism are the main issues I've overcome thus far. Not to say it won't happen anymore, but I'll meet it head on in the event that I do encounter it again.”

Although her professional career is just starting, May has already racked up several accomplishments she will forever be proud of.

“During my internship with Lufthansa Technik Component Services, I designed and built an internal app for them that they still use,” she said. “And one year after starting at Hawker Pacific, my boss took a leave of absence and placed me in charge of the team. I was the newest member but became the boss to eight employees. Based on my performance, I was asked to take on the role full time after my boss eventually resigned, but I turned it down to keep learning and practicing engineering.”

As she continues building toward her dream career, May hasn’t forgotten about those who inspired her and said she feels a responsibility to set the bar for youngsters who may harbor the same aspirations and face the same challenges that she did.

Blazing a Trail for Others to Follow

Her story of success was showcased in The National, the top-selling newspaper in Papua New Guinea, in a 2021 article written by her older sister, who was a journalist there at the time.

“The only reason I agreed to the article was to be an inspiration to young men and women from developing countries and underprivileged societies,” May said. “I wanted to show young girls and boys that they can earn scholarships to domestic and international universities if they stay in school and work hard to achieve their goals. I'd like to believe that somewhere in PNG, a young girl or boy read my story and was inspired enough to work towards something great!”