Lift - Fall 2011 - (Page 22)

A L U M N I I N ACTI O N by m e l i s sa J u dy Blue Sky landing Lisa KoLLar (’97, ’09, DB) proves that ‘Embry-Riddle degrees aren’t just for pilots’ these are the ones that make me realize that I am doing exactly what I am meant to do,” Kollar says. HelpiNg otHers FiNd tHeir NicHe L Need Help Looking for Your Career? The Career Services website offers a virtual library of job search aids including interview tips, an alumni network, sample résumés and cover letters, and more. In addition to these virtual tools, alumni within one year of graduation have access to in-person career counseling with Career Services staff. Career fairs are also hosted annually at the Daytona Beach and Prescott campuses each fall. To learn more, visit www.erau.edu/career. isa Kollar (’97 ’09, DB), director of Career , Services at Embry-Riddle, didn’t always want to work at a university. In fact, since the age of 13 she dreamed of flying. Kollar began her college education in 1988 at the Prescott Campus. In 1993, when financial difficulties prevented her from completing her degree (within one flight course of graduating), she returned home and accepted a sales position with Estée Lauder. “I made great money, got lots of free products and discovered my passion for working with people,” Kollar says. Several years later, after receiving a letter from a former Embry-Riddle classmate who had pursued a career in aviation, Kollar was struck with regret that she had not finished her degree. She decided to return to Embry-Riddle, complete her last flight course and graduate. This time, she enrolled at the Daytona Beach Campus, and was able to keep her management job with Estée Lauder. No Fear A huge advocate for networking, Kollar champions the adage, “It’s not what you know, but who you know that matters.” She learned of the opportunity in the Embry-Riddle Career Services office through a contact in her network 13 years ago. During her career, she has been promoted multiple times and become a seasoned leader who enjoys working on the front line. She advises students and alumni to be flexible in their career choices and to apply the skills and education gained from their Embry-Riddle experience to whatever opportunities come their way. According to Kollar, this is exactly what she did— and it has made all the difference in her life. “I didn’t achieve my goal in the time I thought I had to; and I wasn’t flying as a professional pilot at the age of 22,” she says. “But so what if I decided to change my career plans? It didn’t mean that I was a failure or that I lost my passion; it just meant that I discovered new ones.” Looking forward, Kollar sees a ripe field of jobs opening up for alumni because of a large number of retirements in the industry. “So be ready my friends; be registered with Career Services with a résumé ready to go. There’s never been a better time to be in aviation and aerospace,” she says. Much had changed in the four years since Kollar last sat in the cockpit of a plane, and her confidence in her abilities was a bit shaky. But as she walked through the parking lot to complete her final check ride, a broken key chain on the ground that said “No Fear” emboldened her. “It spoke volumes to me,” she says. “I hadn’t given up. I was ready. I had no fear. I completed and passed my commercial check ride, thus finishing my degree in Aeronautical Science.” To this day, Kollar keeps that key chain as a reminder to continue facing challenges with no fear. Part of her job in Career Services is to encourage others to do the same. One of her most rewarding roles is as an advisor on a team that works with students and alumni who have “broken spirits,” those who have given up and are lacking confidence. “For me, 22 LIFT Fall 2011 www.ERAUALUmnI.oRg Photo by Chris Carta http://www.erau.edu/career http://WWW.ERAUALUMNI.ORG

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Lift - Fall 2011

Lift - Fall 2011
Table of contents
Letter from the President
Chatter
Partnership expands high-performance vehicle research
Leading ladies
5-Star Philanthropist
Birds of a feather
We made it happen in 2011!
A winning combination
Blue sky landing
Alumni news
Class notes

Lift - Fall 2011