Knowledge and Networking are Embry-Riddle Advantages

No one needs to tell Diogo Youssef why it’s so great to be part of the Embry-Riddle family. He knows first-hand.

After the airline where he worked for seven years filed for Chapter 11, it was his fellow students from the Aviation Management Program at Embry-Riddle Central and South America who came to the rescue.

“I have learned so much through this program,” said Youssef, 37, who was among graduates of the program who took part in a commencement at Embry-Riddle on Nov. 1.

 “But one of the biggest lessons was the power of having this network of people, of friends and other students who knew me and what I could do. It made all the difference.”

Youssef now works as an operations intelligence coordinator in the OCC department at Azul, the Brazilian airline created by David Neeleman, who founded JetBlue. Other students in his cohort worked there and helped Youssef when the position came open.

“They have created a great network here,” said Maria Manuella Ritter, associate director of Operations and Enrollment for Central and South America. “They really do act like a family.”

Youssef had a background in mechanical engineering and went to work in the maintenance department for Avianca Brasil, a company led by the same family-owned business group as the Colombian national airline, in 2011. He quickly moved into management and then on to the Operations division, where he focused on implementing new workflows based on the model he learned in maintenance.

Over a year ago, his bosses selected him to be part of Embry-Riddle’s Aviation Management program. He was thrilled, because he wanted to learn even more about management and the aviation industry -- a subject his instructors knew well.

In late 2018, however, after Youssef was already deep into his Embry-Riddle classes, Avianca Brasil filed for Chapter 11.

“It happened very quickly and it was a big surprise,” Youssef said. “It didn’t feel very good.”

But what came later did, as other students stepped up to help.

“This is truly a cohort,” he said. “We have been through a lot together and we see the value in each other.”

Now in his third month at Azul, Youssef is back doing the work he loves and the knowledge he’s gained at Embry-Riddle is fueling his future and helping build his career.

“I am really fascinated by how things work together in this industry,” said Youssef, who graduated from the program in November. “The professors here are so good at showing you all the connections.”

Even though Brazil’s top airlines compete fiercely, their employees are always willing to help each other in a pinch – especially when they’ve taken classes together.

“Sometimes, you’ll call someone to ask a question and they’ll say, ‘remember, it’s just like what we learned in the class on airports’ or something like that,” Youssef said. “So you not only see the value of networking, but also the value of the lessons you learn.”

Even after graduation, Ritter said the group is still looking out for and helping each other.

“I learn a lot from these students every day,” she said. “And I couldn’t be more proud of them.”