UPDATE: School

I don't know if I ever blogged here about my school plans/dilemmas, so I thought I'd catch you up on how that's turning out.

I received my Associates Degree at the end of last semester.  This was awesome because I could cross "get a degree" off my 30 List.  Okay, it was awesome for other reasons too.  I'm glad to be moving in the right direction when it comes to my education.  I'm also really glad that I actually *have* a direction.

My plan has always been to major in Aviation Administration.  When I originally was looking at the degree, the only school I knew of that offered this degree was Utah Valley University.  So I applied there and got accepted.  But when I got my acceptance letter, it was signed by one Matthew Holland, who was/is very involved with the Prop 8 campaign and the National Organization for Marriage.  And then suddenly, I didn't really want to go to Utah Valley anymore.

So I got looking into other schools and I found two really amazing schools.  The first is Westminster College here in Salt Lake.  I was actually a student there once before and I really enjoyed it as much as I could, but I was not in a place where college was important to me.  The other is Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University.  This school only offers degrees relating to aviation, whether it be as a pilot or air traffic controller, a management degree, an engineering degree, you get the idea.  They have main campuses in Florida and Arizona and other remote campuses worldwide.  I found out later that they have a remote campus at Hill AFB, but I applied to the Prescott Arizona campus.

To my great surprise and delight, I was accepted at both schools. 

As much as I would have loved to go to ERAU and be a part of an educational community where everyone loves aviation as much as I do, I found that it wouldn't be financially beneficial to move.  Maybe if they still had an Outback in Prescott that I could just transfer to, but they don't anymore.  Westminster is also going to give me more financial aid than ERAU would have.  So I sent my tuition deposit to Westminster and I will be starting in the fall.

Now, to clarify, when I say that I'm majoring in Aviation Administration, a lot of people mistakenly think that I am going to be an air traffic controller.  I've looked into that but I don't meet the strict qualifications.  An Aviation Administration degree is actually a business degree with an aviation emphasis.  This means that I'll be working either for an airport or a specific airline, dealing with the business aspect of the aviation industry, so financials and things of that nature.  I decided on this because it's kind of what I've been doing at the restaurant.  I like doing administrative things, I just don't want to continue to be in restaurants.  The restaurant is making me crazy!  So I thought if I could combine something I know I like with an industry that I would love to be a part of, I would end up with what everyone wants: a career that they enjoy.

So in the fall I will be a Griffen again, and I'm shooting for graduation in 2013.  I can't wait!