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For double alumnus and graduate student Benjamin Jones Jr. (’18, ’20, ’22), an opportunity to meet one of the Tuskegee Airmen as a Boy Scout sparked his interest in aviation.

“He told me about the great opportunities in aviation,” Jones said. “Also, as a minority, how it would impact a lot of lives to see someone with my complexion in aviation.”

Ever since then, he has been fascinated with aviation and the innovation of aircraft over time.

Finding his Path

When the time came to enhance his professional education, Jones began attending a technical college, but soon realized the opportunities that would come with earning a degree.

While he was an employee at Gulfstream Aerospace, he learned that many of his colleagues were graduates of Embry‑Riddle. “They told me ERAU is a great university to pursue a career within this field,” said Jones. 

He decided to launch his Eagle journey with a Certificate in Information Systems Assurance and then continued to further his knowledge by earning his A.S. in Aeronautics and B.S. in Aeronautics.

Jones is now a graduate student pursuing the M.S. in Logistics and Supply Chain Management. While he wasn’t familiar with this side of aviation prior to joining the program, Jones was inspired by the world of possibilities that logistics offers.

“While I was working as a mechanic, I noticed the logistics department was huge,” he said. “You had everyone from material control analysts, specialists and operators connecting with vendors from all over the world.”

Preparing for the Future

Among Jones’ other accomplishments during his time at ERAU, such as publishing his own  and being awarded a scholarship from the National Business Aviation Association, he recently started a graduate internship in his hometown of Savannah, Georgia.

In his role as a research analyst at city hall, he’s working on a team of several interns collecting data to create a racial inequity report. Once complete, he and his team will present the report to city council and the mayor to help push programs that can improve several issues throughout the city.

“It’s something outside of my comfort zone, but I’m doing it because I want to have experience on both sides,” he said.

Jones looks forward to eventually applying the research skills he’s gaining toward his goal of becoming an FAA accident investigator.

Message to Fellow Students

To future and current Eagles, his advice is to keep your eyes on the prize.

“Remember that nothing is impossible,” he said. “You can do anything if you put your mind to it. Get a projection date of all your classes and map out a graduation date so you can stay focused.”