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To prepare for this year’s aerospace maintenance competition, ��ݮ��Ƶ undergraduate Jackie Wilson arrived at team practices first and left last.

 When she was not training, she was at her manuals and schematics, making sure that she “knew the ins and outs” of the events, she said.

Two years ago, Wilson joined Embry-Riddle’s Aviation Maintenance Science program knowing almost nothing about the field. Her inexperience felt magnified by being one of the few women in her class.

“When you are a woman, you have all eyes on you,” said Wilson, now a rising junior.

Cristin Klaus, assistant professor in the Aviation Maintenance Science Department, said she was immediately impressed by Wilson’s “determination to succeed.”

Wilson put in late nights studying. She also joined an Embry-Riddle team competing in the Aerospace Maintenance Council’s annual competition, where professional, military and student maintenance technicians engage in more than two dozen timed challenges.

Things “started to click,” Wilson said, at the 2025 event. The competition, known as , gave her confidence, testing her knowledge and her nerve.

“It really builds you up as a mechanic,” she said. “Being part of the team allowed me to advance my skills outside the classroom. I got to see the new and upcoming tools. I got to see various components we were learning about in class. The competition just brings all of the pieces together.”

At this year’s competition, held at the end of April at MRO Americas in Orlando, Wilson captained the Radial Raptors, one of two Embry-Riddle teams that competed in the school category. Sponsored by RTX and West Star Aviation, the team took home top finishes in five events: one first-place and four second-place awards.

Embry-Riddle’s other team, the Typhoons, earned awards in four events: one first-place, one second-place and two third-place awards. Additionally, the Airbus-sponsored team received the John Goglia Professionalism Award, which recognizes teams that demonstrate outstanding conduct and communication during the competition.

“This is one of the most meaningful recognitions, and it reflects not just technical ability, but how our teams carry themselves, represent our school and uphold the standards of the industry,” said Sandra Acree, an Aviation Maintenance Science senior who served as coordinator for both Embry-Riddle teams.

At the competition, Wilson was awarded a Phoebe Omlie Scholarship. Omlie was the first woman to obtain her airplane mechanic’s license. “She made what I’m doing today possible,” Wilson said.

But women remain rare in the field. According to a by nonprofit Women in Aviation International, women make up less than 3% of all aircraft maintenance technicians.

“For women in particular, the competition offers valuable opportunities to connect with fellow students, industry professionals and mentors,” said Klaus, who has long served as a faculty mentor to Embry-Riddle’s teams. “It provides visibility, builds confidence and demonstrates that women not only belong in aviation maintenance but can excel and lead within the industry.”

Thanks to a scholarship through the National Business Aviation Association in partnership with flight simulation training companies CAE and Flight Safety International, Wilson will learn about Dassault Falcon aircraft systems this summer. She hopes to begin her career in corporate aviation.

“At the end of the day, it doesn’t matter if you’re a woman or not, as long as you’re doing the work, and you’re doing it right and safely,” she said.