The Flight to Success: Aerospace Engineering Major Tailors College Experience to Pursue Passions

Graydon Russell (’23) planned on attending college with a major in Astronautical Engineering, combining his interest in engineering with his fascination with extraterrestrial exploration. When he was accepted to Embry-Riddle, his shift into Aerospace Engineering with a focus on Astronautics and a minor in Entrepreneurship was an obvious choice.

“I always knew I’d go into engineering... but aside from learning the technical side, I also wanted to understand the business side of things — management, finances, product planning and support,” Russell said. “So, I added an entrepreneurship minor as it gives a broad understanding of everything you need to know to run a business while focusing on innovation and growth within a company.”

Graydon Russell testing ALEXEI, the heads up display he helped design in Embry-Riddle’s S.U.I.T. Lab. (Photo: Graydon Russell)

Academic Achievement at Embry-Riddle

On-campus, Russell has dedicated much of his time to actively participating within Embry-Riddle's College of Business (COB). Most recently, he earned his Lean Six Sigma Yellow and Green (WIP) Belts with Dr. John Longshore and Dr. Angela Cheatham, a distinction that identifies that Russell is familiar with improving business processes and the steps to problem-solving using the Six Sigma methodology.

“I have worked with the Office of Undergraduate Research to do research with Dr. Jennifer Hinebaugh, participated in the Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship with Dr. Ramy Rahimi, worked as a Student Assistant with Dean Shanan Gibson and Mrs. Janine Foster, tutored in the COB tutoring lab and advised the Professional Consulting Program as a TA while working with companies like Boeing and Textron,” Russell shared, providing an overview of his experiences at the COB and an insight into the ability of Embry-Riddle students to work alongside experienced professors.

Apart from his COB involvement, Russell has been a member of Embry-Riddle's Spacesuit Utilization of Innovative Technology (S.U.I.T.) Lab in the College of Aviation, working on a head’s up display that could one day be used within astronaut space suits.

“This project saw us finishing as finalists three years in a row in NASA’s SUITS Challenge. I have been leading the team over the last year and am now planning to start passing the reins as I approach graduation,” he shared, an accomplishment to be proud of.

Graydon Russell playing his saxophone in Embry-Riddle’s Pep Band. (Photo: Graydon Russell)

Campus Experience

Russell has made the most of his time at Embry-Riddle, diving deep into campus involvement and school spirit. Apart from his academic accomplishments, Russell has been a saxophone player in the Embry-Riddle Bands (jazz and pep) and served as the jazz conductor, vice president and president of both bands throughout his career.

“Band introduced me to students from every background and degree, which gave me a network that is still my main friend group, regardless of who graduates or joins,” he said.

Outside of his involvement in the bands, Russell has made plentiful professional and personal connections and gives props to the community at Embry-Riddle for helping him feel at home.

“I have to say it has been the people at Riddle that have made it feel like a home,” he said. “Through my academic experiences in numerous colleges, projects that bridged between both the Prescott and Daytona campuses and club interactions, I’ve gotten to know people in nearly every department at Riddle. It even became a joke among my friends that I seem to know everyone on campus.”

Russell credits his on-campus community for getting him through tough times, helping him navigate achieving his goals and aspirations and providing fun times throughout his schooling. He also shared that Dr. John Longshore, professor of business at Embry-Riddle, has been a mentor and role model throughout his academic career.

Advice for Future Students

Russell shared advice he would give to future Eagles on finding their way, sharing that with a little effort, you can tailor your program to best align with your personal interests and goals.

“In retrospect, I should have switched to Human Factors or Space Ops, as they are more aligned with my interests,” Russell shared thoughtfully. “Even though I stuck it out in Aerospace Engineering, I’ve still adapted it to meet my interests: I found research labs in space technologies, focused class projects on topics I wanted to know more about, sought a minor in an educational field I found useful even when it was completely removed from my major and have pursued certifications and experiences in many topics that are completely different than what my degree requires, but which I find interesting and plan to use to guide my career.”

On top of his academic advice, Russell also shared advice for interpersonal and mental well-being and success.

“Find an activity you enjoy outside of your academic field. For me, it was music in the bands; for some, it is ROTC; for others, it’s weekly beach trips or game nights or anything else. Find something to get your mind off work and to have some fun,” he said. “School is challenging and time-consuming, but if you always have something to look forward to and to let your brain rest, you’ll be happier throughout and won’t burn out too fast.”

“In the end, you may think you know what you want to do and how you want to get there, but there will always be hiccups, roadblocks or unforeseen opportunities,” he shared. “Being willing and able to adapt will help you get through and find what you really DO want to do.”