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While the   is already renowned for offering the best in online education, it is now expanding its ability to provide students with the kind of practical experience and professional networks that count with top employers around the globe.

One recent example is the newly established student chapter of the  the largest professional organization for airport employees. The group delivers dynamic professional development and networking, cutting-edge comprehensive airport solutions and effective representation in Washington, D.C.

Kerri Haybittle-Raffel, who works as a graduate assistant at Worldwide’s College of Business while she pursues her  on the Daytona Beach Campus, was one of the driving forces behind creating the new chapter.

She took time to discuss the group, how other students can benefit from it and the journey that brought her to Embry‑Riddle.

What made you decide to get involved with the new student chapter of the AAAE?

I am a member of the American Association of Airport Executives Student Leadership Council and the Daytona Beach Campus AAAE Student Chapter, also known as the Aerospace, Airline, and Airport Management Club (AAAMC).

Jeswin Thomas, one of my student leadership colleagues and a new student in , reached out to me in late May about joining the Daytona Beach AAAE student chapter. 

Through our conversation, there was a light bulb moment when we realized that both the Daytona and Prescott campuses have AAAE student chapters, but nothing existed for WW students. This led to the thought that it would be amazing to establish a Worldwide student chapter to foster engagement and provide airport-related educational content and industry networking opportunities in a primarily online forum.

As a former Worldwide student, I was really interested in connecting with like-minded airport and aviation management students. However, the online class environment really didn't provide the full range of relationship-building and networking that I was seeking.

The AAAE student chapter is a great opportunity to fill this gap for students and set them up with connections to support the transition into their chosen careers.

I have been working on our submission documents since early June, and I am pleased to report that we received approval from the AAAE Academic Relations Committee for our Worldwide Campus AAAE student chapter on July 25! 

How will this chapter benefit Worldwide Campus College of Business students?

The new AAAE student chapter will:

• Enhance the Worldwide Campus aviation degree programs by providing innovative opportunities to connect online and in person.
• Provide a platform that will support the sharing of industry best practices that will ultimately broaden airport and aviation knowledge.
• Foster the development of meaningful relationships with fellow students, industry partners, external stakeholders and future employers.

As a recognized student chapter, we are eligible for some awesome AAAE benefits. The chapter receives three free registrations for the AAAE Annual Conference and Exposition – one for a faculty advisor and two for students.

In addition, we also receive six registrations for student members at 50% off the lowest registration rate for any AAAE domestic conference. The next  between June 8-10, 2025.

I am extremely pleased that we can start the 2024-25 academic year with this new student group.  August will be spent promoting the chapter and recruiting members, and we hope to hold elections for the inaugural officer positions in late August or early September.

Worldwide Campus students have the unique benefit of being in so many different parts of the globe, so I am excited at the possibility of also connecting students with Daytona Beach and Prescott Campus AAAE student chapters for online events.

Why did you choose Embry‑Riddle for your MBA in Aviation Management?

My 18-plus-year career with  involved working with small regional airports in operations, Safety Management Systems and management, so I was looking to transition into a different role in a bigger space within the industry, and the best way for me to achieve this was to go back to school and level up with an MBA.

I included “aviation” in my online search for MBA programs, and that’s when Embry‑Riddle’s Aviation Management programs popped up. I was familiar with Embry‑Riddle’s flight training and aerospace programs but had no idea that there were MBA options in my wheelhouse, so it was a no-brainer that I HAD to become an Eagle!

At the time, the MBA in Aviation Management program was only offered at the Daytona Beach campus, so after discussing options with my husband (a Texan who had been living in Canada for over a decade), we decided that it would be a fun adventure to move stateside for my education!

I was accepted into the MBA in Aviation Management program in Spring 2022, and that summer, I started my studies through the Worldwide Campus, where I completed my undergraduate prerequisite courses while still living in Canada.

I started my full-time studies at the Daytona Beach Campus in the Fall of 2023 and am just about to commence my second year here. I am also working as a graduate assistant with the Worldwide College of Business team, where I have spent the last seven months providing project research and support.

How can Worldwide students join the AAAE or other student groups?

Membership in AAAE is open to undergraduate and graduate students pursuing airport management or related fields of study at the Worldwide Campus.

For more information about this club and other student organizations, you can , Embry‑Riddle’s one-of-a-kind virtual community, using your ERNIE credentials, either online or through the eUnion app.