ABOUT LUCY
- From Alexandria, VA
- Member of the Class of 2027
- Professional Pilot major
- Tour Guide
- Competes in aviation events with the Kent State Precision Flight Team
I became a tour guide to share my love of Kent State, especially when I get to give a tour to prospective professional pilot majors because I get to share all of my wonderful experiences that I have had in the College of Aeronautics and Engineering.
TELL US ABOUT YOUR EXPERIENCE AS A STUDENT AT KENT STATE!
I am a Professional Pilot major from Alexandria, VA (about 6 hours away). Even though I am far from my family, I love Kent State! My favorite experience has been how friendly people are. I feel confident that I could go into any office here and easily strike up a conversation with the faculty, and I love that about Kent!
WHY DID YOU CHOOSE KENT STATE?
I chose Kent State for the Aeronautics program. The program makes sure pilot students are well rounded in all areas beyond just flying a plane. Kent teaches us how Air Traffic Controllers (ATC) operate, aspects of Aviation Safety, Aviation Law, the math of flying (Flight Dynamics), physiological factors of flying and how to interpret and understand the weather. Beyond academics, the residence halls were a major contributing factor to my commitment to Kent. The AC, heating and pod-style bathrooms convinced me that I would enjoy living on campus, which really did make a difference for me!
WHEN DID KENT STATE START TO FEEL LIKE HOME?
Kent State started to feel like home the moment I stepped on campus for my first tour. Something about the campus just emanated home to me and I turned to my mom the day that we toured and told her that this was where I wanted to end up. I didn't know it then, but that feeling of home came from the beauty of campus and the people that we met while touring.
Once I became a student, I met a group of people within my college who supported me and I supported them, and Kent became home. That sense of comradery was exactly what I was confident I would find here.
WHAT'S A COOL LEARNING EXPERIENCE YOU'VE HAD?
Joining the Kent State Precision Flight Team. Through Flight Team, I have the opportunity to fly at competitions twice a year, including at Oshkosh airport in Wisconsin. In July, they host one of the largest airshows in the US. At KOSH in May 2025, I was able to compete in precision short-field landings, which was very exciting. I was able to apply what I learned at these events to our fall competition in October 2025 at the Kent State University Airport (1G3) where I placed 6th place in short-field landings, which is the highest a woman at Kent has ever placed! Flight Team has provided lots of memories for me, and I would recommend the experience for anyone who is able to join!
WHO HAS MADE YOUR COLLEGE EXPERIENCE SPECIAL?
Benjamin Satyshur, the safety program manager at the Kent State Airport (1G3) has made my college experience. Ben makes the airport a safer place and embodies the spirit of a culture of safety. If you have any questions, Ben will answer them and make sure you leave the conversation with more knowledge and understanding of how to make a safe decision. He works incredibly hard to make sure that everyone at Kent is making safe decisions as a natural part of your day, instead of an extra step.
Personally, Ben has impacted me as a coach for Flight Team. He has been a fantastic resource in making our team more knowledgeable, which helps us to perform better at competitions.
To pay for school, I used benefits from my dad's GI Bill that he earned while serving in the Air Force. Kent State's Center for Adult and Veteran Services (CAVS) was very knowledgeable and helped me navigate the use of my benefits. They walked me through the entire process, which was a wonderful experience.
WHAT'S YOUR FAVORITE MEMORY?
My favorite memory at Kent State is from freshman year. My friends and I would do "family dinner" every night at Eastway dining hall. It was our time to tell each other about our day, connect with each other and get delicious food. Sometimes we would get breakfast together too, but family dinner was important to us and it was the highlight of my day for the entire first year.
WHAT ARE YOUR GOALS, POST-GRADUATION?
My career goal is to fly at a major airline like United. My college is helping me prepare to achieve my goals through the flight training program we have here. Due to our northern location to Lake Erie, Kent experiences lots of different weather including snow, rain, wind, thunderstorms, sunny weather and clouds, which teaches pilot students to learn to adapt to flying in conditions that they might not otherwise experience somewhere else. Additionally, Kent offers pathway programs to lots of different airlines, which connects students to companies and mentorship from graduates and professional pilots.
WHY SHOULD OTHER STUDENTS CHOOSE KENT STATE?
Students should choose Kent because the opportunities provided here are endless. Each student here has unique needs, but Kent still finds a way to meet those needs.
One specific thing about Kent I would recommend is the fantastic residence halls. Each one provides amenities like AC and Heating adjustable to each individual room, and the bathroom spaces are organized into rooms where the toilet, shower and sink are all separated into individual pods, allowing students full privacy.
Another reason I would recommend Kent is because of our regional campus in Florence, Italy. It provides students looking to study abroad with a direct connect to Kent so that they can feel confident going to a new country without feeling like they are being left alone in a new place without guidance. So many students at Kent study in Florence, and our Office of Global Education connects students with financial aid and scholarships to help them afford study abroad.