Aviation Maintenance Science Major Finds "Unmatched" Opportunity at Embry‑Riddle

Calen Crockett remembers exactly where and when her aviation passion kicked in.

Sixth grade. Omaha, Nebraska.

Her school was trying out a program that let students explore different topics during their homeroom periods and on a whim, Calen chose “Introduction to Flight” with teacher Brett Redemske.

“I walked in the room and up on the board were different aircraft flight decks and instrument panels,” said Calen (’24). “I was absolutely mesmerized. It was immediate. I knew this was something I wanted to pursue and I so many huge goals following that one little experience, which served as inspiration for everything moving forward.”

Calen’s love of all things aviation now has her poised to graduate in May with an Aviation Maintenance Science degree from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University’s Daytona Beach Campus, well prepared for a future she’s already looking forward to.

“I don’t have an ultimate career goal right now, but I am very excited to see what’s out there when I start my job search,” she said. “I have already started thinking about what I want to do and where I want to go.”

Pursuing an Aviation Career

Calen’s path into Embry-Riddle’s renowned AMS program has had plenty of twists, turns and even two cross-country moves, but she has no doubt that she landed in the right place. After that transformative homeroom experience, Calen did all she could to get involved with aviation on any level possible.

Calen Crockett gets ready to take a flight in the Van’s RV-12iS aircraft that she helped build. (Photo: Calen Crockett)

She joined the Civil Air Patrol and then applied for and earned a coveted spot in the Air & Space Academy at Harry A. Burke High School in Omaha.

“All of my base curriculum, such as history and subjects such as those, were all centered around aviation,” she said. “So instead of taking your typical world history class, I took history of aviation, which was just awesome, frankly.”

Another highly influential experience came when Calen joined a group called Aviation Nation and took part in building an RV-12iS aircraft from Van’s, a leading designer of homebuilt aircraft.

Calen said the group, which is no longer active after the passing of its founder, was “at its core, a mentorship program that taught students the skills to build their own kit aircraft.” The aircraft she worked on is still flying and currently has 1,400 hours of total time in service.

“That was when I realized that I loved the hands-on work and I loved the satisfaction you get by finishing a big project,” Calen said of her work on the aircraft. “It's incredible to see it flying. I've flown in it, and one of my friends got their private pilot license in it, so it’s pretty amazing to see what came out of a bunch of wooden crates is now a functional flying certificated aircraft.”

Why Choose Embry-Riddle for Aviation Degree?

Calen’s first introduction to Embry-Riddle came when she was 14. One of her mentors in Civil Air Patrol explained how the school was a global leader in aviation and aerospace education and offered opportunities in every aspect of the industry. That was pretty much all she needed to hear.

“It was the only school I applied to,” Calen said.

She was accepted into the Aerospace Engineering program at Embry-Riddle’s Prescott Campus and initially had her sights set on the space track.

“Space is still one of my big interests, but I realized within the first month this was not the hands-on career that I wanted,” she said.

That, Calen recalls, was a disheartening moment.

“I moved to Arizona from Nebraska, halfway across the country, just to realize I wasn’t doing what I liked,” she said. “But I loved what I found at Embry-Riddle and wanted to stay, so I was happy that I had the option to move to the AMS program in Daytona.”

From One Renowned Embry-Riddle Program to Another

Calen said Embry-Riddle’s academic advising team made the actual transfer process easy for her. After a second cross-country trek, she launched her new educational journey.

“I think it's a testament to just how much Embry-Riddle offers and how vast your choices are for what you want to do while you're here,” she said. “I had passion for the hands-on stuff, and I realized this was something I loved doing. I love the perfectionism of it all, I love every day being different and I love that in the maintenance world, everything must be done exactly.”

The wealth of opportunities provided by the AMS program were a revelation for Calen.

“One of the things that really stuck out to me right off the bat was how much time we spend in a lecture environment versus a hands-on environment,” she said. “We spend so much time working hands on and that has made a tremendous impact, not only learning about what we're going to be doing, but then actively doing the work.”

For example, she recalls a class where she and her fellow students took apart and reassembled a turbine engine.

“Where else are you going to get to do that?” Calen asked, adding: “And where else are you going to have 20 to 40 turbine engines just laying out across a classroom for people to pick apart in an educational environment?”

Another plus of the program — one that also resonates with other AMS students — is the focus on fundamentals and foundational maintenance skills that starts from day one.

“All those basics that I learned early on really stacked up on each other,” Calen said. “It's one of those things where you say, ‘yes, I know how to do that.’”

Expert AMS Faculty Helps Students Stand Out

Among the biggest highlights for Calen and other AMS students is the quality of the instruction they get from Embry-Riddle’s AMS faculty members, all of whom are experts in their respective disciplines with direct connections to top industry employers.

“I would love to shout out [Associate Professor] Mitch Geraci because he has just been so involved, not just in our learning, but also by lifting us up so we’re more confident in ourselves,” Calen said. “He's such a great professor, not just when it comes to aviation, but also when it comes to life. He's shown me that there are a lot of really great things out there and that I'm capable of achieving them.”

For Calen, one of those great things was earning a prestigious Aviation Maintenance Technician scholarship from the National Business Aviation Association (NBAA). That honor comes with a one-week course with engine maker Rolls-Royce, high-level hands-on training that can cost more than $10,000.

“That gives me a kick into the industry because it's something that my future employer is not going to have to train me on or and or pay for,” Calen said. “The faculty here does so much behind the scenes to make these opportunities available for us.”

The award also included the chance to attend an NBAA national conference and begin building the industry connections that are so vital in today’s job market.

“It’s led to more and more networking opportunities for me,” she said. “I got to meet so many great people and there's so many people in my contacts list now that I can reach out to when I'm really getting into that job search.”

To anyone considering an AMS degree at Embry-Riddle, Calen offered this perspective:

“It’s totally worth it. Truly, I don't think I could have gotten the same quality of education anywhere else or the same dedication from my professors. It’s unmatched.”