Travel the Key to Personal, Professional Growth for Eagle Business Student

Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University student Jackson Radzimski was born with the travel bug, so pursuing a career in aviation was a natural fit.

“Growing up, I would see planes flying overhead, and it just always represented something exciting and new out there,” said the senior Aviation Business Administration major.

Jackson Radzimski’s internship at United Airlines allowed him to gain hands-on experience in logistics. (Photo: Jackson Radzimski)

Originally, Radzimski wanted to become a pilot, but after getting more interested in the business side of aviation and going to Australia through Embry-Riddle’s Study Abroad & Global Engagement program last summer, he discovered a different career path in supply chain management.

“Our tour of the Royal Flying Doctor Service facility in Queensland was my personal favorite,” he said. “I learned so much about the logistics of rural flying in the Australian outback.”

Those experiences led to Radzimski landing a highly competitive internship in Technical Operations (Tech Ops)-Supply Chain at United Airlines this summer, which offered hands-on experience in logistics.

“Working in supply chain can be like a puzzle,” he said. “I like the challenge of it.”

The Erie, Pennsylvania, native spent 12 weeks, starting in May, interning at the United Airlines Network Operations Center, located outside of Chicago. Radzimski was embedded in the Aircraft on Ground department, working on a key project with the Wheels, Tires and Brakes team.

Hervé Lavenant, managing director of Logistic Services at United Airlines and vice-chair of the Business Leadership Board for Embry-Riddle’s David B. O’Maley College of Business, said he was impressed with Radzimski’s maturity and self-sufficiency.

“Jackson applied his analytical skillset to expand United’s trucking network for our wheels, enabling us to reduce air shipments and the potential for injuries,” said Lavenant. “He tackled a real-world safety problem, and his maturity, curiosity and fantastic work ethic made him an incredible asset on the team.”

The Power of Exploration

Attending Embry‑Riddle’s Australia Study Abroad program last summer led to new career, learning and networking opportunities for Jackson Radzimski. (Photo: Embry‑Riddle/Jackson Radzimski)

Travel has also led to other learning and networking opportunities for Radzimski.

While on the Australia Study Abroad program, which partners with the University of the Sunshine Coast in Queensland, he also learned about Australia's Indigenous cultural groups, the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

“Aboriginal culture is so rich,” he said. “I remember how I felt absorbing all of that knowledge for the first time, and I thought it would really be powerful to give others that experience, too.”

Raymond Sanders, an assistant professor of Business at Embry‑Riddle’s Daytona Beach Campus who leads the Australia program, suggested Radzimski and fellow student Noah Kellermann present what they learned at Lessons From Abroad, a statewide conference held at Stetson University. Their presentation was on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Strife and walked attendees through an abridged 100-year history of national policy in Australia.

“They did an outstanding job and received many compliments on the topic they chose, the research they did and the presentation they gave,” said Sanders.

While interning at United Airlines this summer, Radzimski has also taken advantage of his employer’s flight benefits, flying standby on United to Iceland, England, Scotland, Ireland and more, totaling over 60,000 miles flown.

“I have a lot of friends that live overseas, so I have been able to visit them and experience new cultures,” he said. “How often can you say, ‘I went to Iceland for $50 on two hours’ notice?’”

As he looks ahead to his senior year, Radzimski aspires to return to United after graduation and continue growing his supply chain knowledge, as well as his travel experience.

“Once in a while, the best opportunities just seem to fall out of the sky when you are least expecting them,” he said.

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