Student-Athlete and Three-Time Intern Offers Embry-Riddle Wisdom

Ava Domenici (’26, ’27) knew that she would thrive as a student-athlete and young professional at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. With her fifth and final year ahead of her, Ava reflects on all that she has accomplished.

“I was drawn to Embry-Riddle because it gave me the opportunity to play collegiate softball, attend school with my twin sister Gianna, who is also on the team, and receive a high-quality education,” she elaborated. “It felt like the perfect balance of academics and athletics in a unique environment.”

Enhancing Education through the Combined Program Pathways

Ava switched to the Human Factors Psychology program from Mechanical Engineering during her first year.

“It bridges the gap between human users and engineering technology, which really aligns with my interests.”

Studying Human Factors Psychology also gave her access to Embry-Riddle's Combined Program Pathways — also known as Embry-Riddle Worldwide’s 4+1 Programs. This opportunity enables students across select disciplines to incorporate graduate-level coursework into their undergraduate experience and obtain two degrees in five years.

“Pursuing the accelerated master’s program felt like a no-brainer for me," Ava said. “I was able to take graduate-level courses during undergrad, which made the transition seamless and created a pathway that maximizes both time and opportunity.”

Leadership Learned through Extracurriculars

As a captain of the Embry-Riddle softball team at the Daytona Beach Campus, Ava demonstrates and guides with a leadership mentality.

“Balancing the demands of a competitive athletic schedule with academics has strengthened my time management and discipline, while also teaching me how to lead by example and support my teammates,” she said.

And although being a student-athlete has been one of Ava’s most impactful undergraduate experiences, she has undertaken several professional development opportunities over the past four years.

“My involvement in Human Factors and Ergonomic Society (HFES) and the EcoCAR HMI/UX team has complemented [my] experience by allowing me to apply ... teamwork and leadership skills in academic and technical settings, especially through hands-on human factors work,” she shared.

The desire to shape meaningful experiences for her fellow students led Ava to an on-campus peer mentor role. Learning to adapt to individual students’ needs and their situations has improved Ava's ability to communicate on and off the field.

“Mentorship means being someone that first-year students can rely on as they adjust to college life,” she said. “It’s also helped me become more confident in offering guidance and creating a supportive environment where students feel comfortable asking for help.”

On-Campus Resources Create Off-Campus Opportunities

During the summers of 2024 and 2025, Ava completed internships in systems engineering and human factors engineering at Northrop Grumman sites.

Her courage, intentionality and optimization of Embry-Riddle's resources made her professional achievements possible.

“I started by attending the career fair my first year, mainly as an observer to understand how everything worked,” she shared. “By my sophomore year, I felt much more prepared and knew what to expect, so I applied for multiple internships and made it a priority to connect with recruiters and find people who currently work in the fields I was interested in pursuing.”

She emphasizes initiative as the key ingredient to thriving at Embry-Riddle.

“Whether it’s networking at career fairs, joining organizations or pursuing opportunities, the effort you put in directly shapes your experience, future opportunities and what you get out of your time here.”

Internships Bring Embry-Riddle Coursework to Life

Ava commends Embry-Riddle's approach to learning while growing through her positions at Northrop Grumman.

“My coursework has directly applied to my internship work, especially in human factors principles, task analysis and systems thinking,” she said. “Embry-Riddle emphasizes hands-on learning and real-world applications, which makes it easier to contribute meaningfully in a professional setting.”

As Ava transitions into her M.S. in Human Factors, she brings her breadth of knowledge from her undergraduate focus on Systems Engineering into her internships. She highlights her main responsibilities from both internships and how Embry-Riddle's diverse coursework enables her development and success.

“During my systems engineering internship, I worked within marine systems, where I focused more on high-level processes and documentation, working with the Department of Defense (DOD) standards, 3D human modeling and completing task analyses.”

She was prepared to transition into her second internship with refined knowledge and perspective.

“My human factors engineering internship supported strategic deterrent systems,” she explained. “Although I was still involved in similar tasks, like design reviews, task analyses and human factors assessments, the work was more directly applied within that specific domain.”

Ava returned as a graduate human factors engineering intern this summer. Earning a third internship at Northrop Grumman is no easy feat, but her drive has equipped her for ongoing success.

“Go to career fairs even if you’re not looking for a job yet, join clubs and build relationships, especially with those in your degree program, because it will make a huge difference.”

Learn more about Embry‑Riddle's Combined Program Pathways.