SEE WHERE THEY STARTED / THEN AND NOW
Giving Back to Community
When Chloeleen Mena (’20) received a letter inviting her to visit the Embry-Riddle campus, she didn’t know where the university would take her. Looking back on her time in the Electrical Engineering program, Mena is confident becoming an Eagle was the right choice.
BEYOND THE STARS AND THE CLASSROOM
“I’m the professional I am today thanks to the community I found at Embry-Riddle.”
For Bryce Smoldon (’20), a B.S. in Aerospace Engineering graduate, his passion for space and rocketry developed long before attending Embry-Riddle. After participating in a summer rocketry program in middle school and later completing the Washington Aerospace Scholars program, Smoldon was eager to continue his education in and outside the classroom. Thanks to Embry-Riddle’s experienced faculty and the student-led Rocket Development Lab (RDL), Smoldon successfully launched his career as an Aerospace Engineer for the Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR) following graduation.
In his role, Smoldon ensures the structural integrity and maintenance instruction of the Bell-Boeing V-22 Osprey, a revolutionary multi-role aircraft yielding the speed and versatility of a helicopter and the space capacity of a cargo plane. However, you can still find Smoldon shooting for the stars. “Rocketry has been a hobby of mine for 10 years now. Currently, I fly my rockets with a North Carolina chapter of the National Association of Rocketry.”
Chloeleen Mena ’20 Electrical Engineering
Today, Mena elevates her experience as an Electrical Engineer for Northrop Grumman by performing analyses and creating hardware drawings for the Launch and Missile Defense (LMD) T4 Program. During her time as an undergrad, Mena interned with NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, preparing her for her current role. However, the “community” Mena refers to was found in the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers, one of 140 student-led organizations available. As an Embry-Riddle alumna, Mena gives back by continuing her affiliations with engineering societies and sharing her experiences as a professional in the field.
FLY LIKE AN EAGLE
See how far these Eagles have come since their undergraduate days.
“Embry-Riddle prepared me for my current role by teaching me how to think critically and to be a problem solver while working with a team.” BRYCE SMOLDON ’20
FLY LIKE AN EAGLE
See how far these Eagles have come since their undergraduate days.
18 | Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University
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