Record-setting attendance set the tone for the annual OctoberWest homecoming and Wings Out West air show last month on the Embry-Riddle Prescott Campus.
“The weekend was really quite magical, with the entire Embry-Riddle family showing up in record numbers,” said Prescott Chancellor Dr. Frank Ayers. “The best part was the sense of friendship and family.”
Roughly 1,200 students attended the largest-ever campus Industry/Career Expo, as a total of 75 companies set up booths to meet and greet potential employees. Many companies also returned to campus the following day to conduct student interviews.
The eagleNIGHT networking event hosted nearly 400 attendees, several of whom were returning to campus for the first time in decades. A total of 72 participants, more than 30 of whom were alumni, then played in the 26th Annual Alumni Golf Tournament.
The Alumni Reception/Awards Dinner kicked off with a dedication of Glen Doherty’s plaque by his Seal Team 3 brothers. Executive Director of Alumni Relations Bill Thompson and Assistant Professor of Aeronautical Science Sean Jeralds then performed an “Embry and Riddle” skit at the 1920s-theme event, complete with costumes and vintage cars from the Prescott Antique Auto Club.
To close out the weekend, more than 1,500 people gathered at the Prescott Airport for the Wings Out West air show, featuring pilot Matt Chapman, national aerobatic champion Patty Wagstaff, Embry-Riddle alumna Melissa Pemberton and her husband, Rex, Bill Stein and the Golden Eagles Flight Team. All of the performers stayed after the show to sign autographs. QCBN
By Bryan Dougherty
Photo caption:
Chancellor Dr. Frank Ayers poses with some of the award winners at the Alumni Recognition Awards Banquet.
Courtesy photo