Embry-Riddle Worldwide Student Veteran Charts Course in Aviation Safety

Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University Worldwide graduate student Fitzgerald Ihekwoaba has worked as a Navy aviation mechanic for more than 13 years, but a fatal Marine Corps helicopter crash made him decide that he wanted to do more to improve aviation safety.

“Witnessing the funeral of the fallen marines of the helicopter crash showed me how aviation safety can impact friends and family,” said Ihekwoaba. “I feel my calling now is not just to keep people protected through service to my country but to keep people safe in the skies.”

The experience motivated him to enroll at Embry-Riddle Worldwide Campus, where he is currently pursuing his master’s degree in Aeronautics with a specialization in Aviation Safety. Ihekwoaba earned an Embry-Riddle bachelor’s degree in Aeronautics in December 2024.

The guidance he has received from faculty and staff at Embry-Riddle has taken him farther than he imagined, he said. Even as a Worldwide student, he studied abroad, received mentorship on his academic and career goals, and joined many student organizations. He is now an aviation safety intern with the Federal Aviation Administration.

“Embry-Riddle has walked with me hand-in-hand to solidify my path,” said Ihekwoaba, who lives in Dallas, Texas. “I’m halfway through my master’s program, so everything is just lining up for me to accomplish my dreams.”

Ihekwoaba is a U.S. Navy aviation mechanic. (Photo: Fitzgerald Ihekwoaba)

‘Part of the Embry-Riddle Family’

Growing up in Austin, Texas, Ihekwoaba considered heading straight to college and playing football after high school. But he didn’t feel ready and decided to join the U.S. Navy instead. He served more than 10 years as an active-duty Navy aviation mechanic, and he has been a member of the naval reserves since 2022.

“I was deployed multiple times to various locations, but my most memorable military experiences were traveling to Italy, Djibouti and New Zealand,” he said.

When Ihekwoaba decided to pursue his degree at Embry-Riddle Worldwide, he knew he wanted to be as involved as possible in college, even if he could not physically be on campus.

Thanks to the Worldwide Campus’ Center of Mentorship Programs and Student Success (COMPASS), he was matched with mentor Dr. Nicole Bier, an assistant professor in the College of Aviation at the Worldwide Campus. He said Bier encouraged him and helped him grow academically and professionally.

“With the connections I made, this whole program changed my life,” said Ihekwoaba. “Without Dr. Bier, I would not be where I am today. I would have just taken classes. But she has helped me to feel like more than just a virtual student. She has made me a part of the Embry-Riddle family.”

A recipient of the Embry-Riddle College of Aviation Worldwide Spirit Award, Ihekwoaba has participated in several campus organizations, including The National Society of Leadership and Success, Eagles in Service, the C.A.R.E.E.R Ready Club, the Alpha Sigma Lambda Honor Society and the Worldwide chapters of the Society of American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) and the American Association of Airport Ethics (AAAE).

“Fitz is passionate about his education, career and future,” Bier said. “He does not quit, welcomes challenges and puts forth the extra work required to succeed. I appreciate Fitz’s service to our country as well as his dedication to his family, friends, associates, instructors and classmates.”

One of the highlights of Ihekwoaba’s student experience was participating in an Embry-Riddle Study Abroad program in Greece and Italy last summer. He said he struggled with math, and Bier encouraged him to participate in the program, which offered the classes he needed to finish the math requirements for his degree.

“Honestly, it was a breath of fresh air,” said Ihekwoaba. “Every day I woke up ready and eager to learn how mathematics was visually represented in our world today as it was in the past.”

Another plus was meeting fellow Embry-Riddle students who shared his passion for aviation. He said he had the opportunity to make lasting friendships with students from the Daytona Beach, Prescott and Worldwide campuses.

“Whichever campus you are from, when you meet each other, you end up forming a family,” said Ihekwoaba. “We all are from Embry-Riddle.”