Worldwide Campus Helps Eagle Find Aviation Opportunity and Success

Although Hannah Sluder’s interest in aviation started when she was a little girl, it was Embry-Riddle Worldwide that helped her passion take flight.

Hannah (’25) is pursuing her B.S. in Aeronautics through the Worldwide College of Aviation and spending Summer 2024 as an intern in the FAA’s Aviation Safety STEM Student Program, an opportunity that will bring her another step closer to her dream career.

As she got ready for a busy summer of learning through hands-on experience, Hannah took a few minutes to tell us about her life, her goals and her Embry-Riddle journey.

Tell us about your background

I was born and raised in the North Georgia mountains in a little town called Ellijay. I lived there with my parents, James and Angie Thomas, and older brother, Levi Thomas, for 21 years until I married my high school sweetheart, Kyle Sluder, and moved to Ramstein, Germany.

After Germany, my husband received orders to San Antonio, Texas, and we were stationed there until last year. After six years of active duty, Kyle transitioned to the Air National Guard, and we finally moved back home to Georgia. We currently reside in South Georgia near our family.

How did you first get interested in aviation?

My interest in aviation started at a very young age when my mawmaw, who worked at Lockheed Martin from the 1960s up until the day she passed away in 2014, would take us to Lockheed Martin in Marietta, Georgia, for family days. Over the years, my interest in aviation became my passion.

How did you first hear about Embry-Riddle?

I first heard of Embry-Riddle at the beginning of 2020 when I was looking to go back to college after taking three years off. My husband suggested we take a trip to the Education Office located on Ramstein Air Base. It’s there where I first found Embry-Riddle’s Worldwide Campus, and I left there knowing what path I was destined to take.

What made you choose Embry-Riddle Worldwide for your Aeronautics degree?

Embry-Riddle Worldwide contained every single thing I looked for in a university, from all of their aviation-related degrees to the ease of classes offered fully online.

What have been some highlights of your Embry-Riddle experience so far?

Embry-Riddle has been exceptional, and I could not have chosen a better school to earn my degree. I’m forever grateful for the professors who have challenged me to become the student I am today and for the many opportunities I have been awarded just by enrolling at Embry-Riddle.

How does Embry-Riddle make it easier to fit academic pursuits into your daily life?

The ease of online classes has made Embry-Riddle the best university I have attended. I have been able to pursue my degree while living abroad in Germany and then all the way to Texas and back to Georgia.

Tell us all about your internship

I was awarded an internship opportunity with the Federal Aviation Administration under the Aviation Safety STEM Student Program. The session begins on June 3, and I will work in the Aviation Safety, Aircraft Certification Service, East Certification Branch, and Airframe Section.

My duties will include supporting FAA engineers for aircraft design reviews and technical assessments based on the applicants' compliance. Additional responsibilities may include local area-site visits to FAA approval holders and applicants with FAA engineering oversight.

What is your ultimate career goal, and how will Embry-Riddle help you achieve it?

My ultimate career goal is to eventually be an aviation accident investigator; however, I would settle for any aviation-related career because it is not considered a job but something I look forward to every day. I am determined to accomplish this career goal by earning my degree from Embry-Riddle, “The Harvard of the Sky.”

What would you say about Embry-Riddle to someone who wants to pursue a degree but is concerned about the time and cost?

They say time is money, and by attending Embry-Riddle Worldwide, you will save time with the courses being all online, which ultimately means you save money as well.

Embry-Riddle Worldwide, in my opinion, is shaped around non-traditional students, such as people with full-time jobs, military personnel and their spouses. Embry-Riddle Worldwide is worth every penny you could spend. I would never choose a different university, and I will forever encourage everyone with aviation passions to attend.

Is there anything else you want to say?

I am proud to be a first-generation college graduate and second-generation aviation-related worker. I am forever thankful for my loving parents, James and Angie, who have continued to provide opportunities and have never wavered in their constant support.

I am also grateful to my husband, Kyle, who has continued to stand by me no matter what and consistently encouraged me to “go after it.” I would never be the woman I am today without my entire family, and I’m proud to say that I went after it, and I’m doing it!