SEE WHERE THEY STARTED / THEN AND NOW
Head Start Helps Pilot Launch Dream Career Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University has been part of Juan Pena’s life since he was 13 years old. Pena (’20) started in aviation with Embry-Riddle’s Gaetz Aerospace Institute while in high school, in which students can earn up to 11 college credits. With the help of his mentors and those college credits, Pena started at Embry-Riddle’s Daytona Beach Campus in 2017. Today, Pena is a first officer for CommuteAir and on his way to achieving his goal of flying for United Airlines. His success reflects his dedication and showcases the benefits of earning a B.S. in Aeronautical Science and advanced flight ratings at Embry-Riddle. “It opened the door for me,” said Pena. “Embry-Riddle put me on the fast track and really prepared me for the realities of a flying career.” He added that his college-level classes at Gaetz gave him a peek into what life and learning at Embry-Riddle would be like and helped ease his path to the flight deck. “I am grateful for my mentors and the education and experience that helped me get where I am today,” he said.
FORGING A PATH TO SPACE
Compared to her previous hardware-focused roles, the Aerospace Engineering alumna’s role at Blue Origin is more people-oriented — something that her experience as a campus ambassador prepared her for. “My engineering background has provided me with the right level of knowledge to work with subject matter experts across New Glenn’s various systems to identify what controllers need to know while on console,” Parrish said. “Beyond the technical training, I also must ensure the controllers are able to effectively communicate and manage their tasking in a high-stress control room environment.” As a training engineer, her responsibilities include developing and scheduling training activities for launch controllers, evaluating controllers on crew resource management during simulations, creating immersive trainings with extended reality equipment and serving as lead evaluator for vehicle access tower buck hoist operations. What does she remember most about her time at Embry-Riddle? “Honestly — all the homework,” Parrish said with a laugh. “It was a lot of work, but it got me to where I am today.”
With the ultimate goal of becoming an astronaut and astronaut trainer, Veronica Parrish, née McGowan (’16), is happy to be right in line with the career trajectory she had planned as an undergrad. When we last checked in with the Prescott Campus alumna, she had just taken part in the design, building and launch of Virgin Galactic’s first-ever human commercial spaceflight of Unity 22 in July 2021. Three years later and now nine years into her career, Parrish is currently the training engineer for Blue Origin’s New Glenn launch team, responsible for developing qualification criteria and training content for control room console operators. “At the beginning of 2022, I made the incredibly difficult decision to leave Virgin Galactic for a tropical lifestyle with Blue Origin on Florida’s Space Coast. The constant rocket launches make me feel like I was meant for this place!”
DESTINATION: SUCCESS
FLY LIKE AN EAGLE
Read about Veronica Parrish’s experience with Virgin Galactic here!
Learn more about how Embry-Riddle helped Juan Pena achieve his goals.
17 | Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University
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