Welcome to the Storage Scholars Spotlight series! Every week, we highlight a different school in our network of college storage locations. This week, we’re talking about Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Daytona Beach, Florida. Read on to learn more about this prestigious aviation, aeronautics, and aerospace institution and why it’s the perfect place for your summer storage needs! 

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A Bit About The School

Embry Riddle Aeronautical University (ERAU) is located in sunny Daytona Beach, Florida. It is a private university focusing on aviation and aerospace, serving just under 7,000 undergraduate and 700 graduate students worldwide. The total student body comprises approximately 75% male and 25% female students and sits across 185 acres on a traditional, residential college living experience. 

In addition to its Florida Campus, Embry Riddle has an Arizona campus, a Worldwide campus. An Asia campus and an online university. Combined, the campuses serve over 32 thousand students from across the globe. 

What is it Best Known For?

Without a doubt, Embry Riddle Aeronautical University is a prestigious college known for being the world's largest, accredited university that specializes in Aviation, Aerospace, and security/intelligence. It is recognized not only within the United States for that Accreditation but also globally. Graduates of ERAU go on to work for NASA, Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), and Diamond Aircraft. These are the leading companies in the industry today. 

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History of ERAU

    Embry Riddle Aeronautical University was founded by entrepreneurs T. Higbee Embry and John Paul Riddle over 90 years ago. They were visionaries with "dreams that gave rise to a reality bigger than their imaginations." Initially, the founders' objectives were to promote aviation through any necessary means, sometimes by aircraft sales or airmail. Other times it meant providing thrill rides, daring air performances, and teaching others to fly. Their story has deep roots in the country's aviation history, and their company adjusted to new demands and opportunities over the years. Over the years, Embry Riddle expanded to begin Training WWII pilots and mechanics, educating veterans post-war. It also transformed over the years from a non-profit organization in the 1950s to eventually gaining University status and Accreditation in 1970 and gaining a solid global reputation for its online education.

Famous Alumni

An education from Embry-Riddle at Daytona Beach comes with the added bonus of famous alumni. From famous Olympic champion and record-breaking swimmer Michael Phelps to former Chairman of BP Petroleum and Goldman Sachs, Lord John Browne, famous individuals have proudly graduated from Embry-Riddle. Aside from Olympic champions to corporate titans, Embry Riddle has a reputation for producing some of the nation's top research engineers who are key players in major breakthroughs around the world. Especially famous in the fields of aviation and aerospace engineering, famous alums have utilized their degrees to push discoveries beyond our imaginable boundaries.

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Life On Campus

Living on campus in the residential dorms will keep you close to the excitement. ERAU students can quickly fill their schedule to the brim between sports, clubs, and extracurriculars. There are over 50 intramurals, clubs, and sports to be a part of or cheer on from the sidelines and over 100 organizations. Students can also participate in ROTC, which represents all military branches. For a smaller sense of community, students can be part of one of the many sororities or fraternities on campus. 

Life Off Campus

The good thing about Embry Riddle Aeronautical University, Daytona Beach, is that there is never a shortage of things to do when you venture off campus. Daytona Beach is a hot spot, and whether you enjoy the beach or not, there is something for everybody! If we had to choose one area, Daytona Boardwalk is where you would find us! A concrete promenade with beach stores and shops, a hotel, a restaurant, an arcade, and an entertainment complex is perfect for a stroll with friends. The entertainment complex includes various outdoor rides, including a Ferris wheel and go-karts. In the summer, you can enjoy outdoor concerts and walk along the 1,000-foot pier over the Atlantic Ocean, the perfect spot to take family when they come for a weekend visit.  

If speed and adrenaline are your things, visit the Daytona International Speedway. The Speedway has hosted races since the late 1950s and is home to the Daytona 500, the most prestigious race in NASCAR. The Speedway is known worldwide for its high-bank tracks, enabling spectators to view the cars better from the sidelines.

Prefer a more relaxed atmosphere? Enjoy a cold beer and crab legs at Daytona's legendary Ocean Deck restaurant. The restaurant has great food, live entertainment, excellent views, and a history that dates back to the 1950s. This restaurant has stood the test of time and is worth a visit!

Favorite Traditions

Family weekend is a well-celebrated tradition that takes place in February. Families are welcome to spend the weekend at one of the nearby Daytona hotels and enjoy a fun itinerary of family-friendly events on campus with their ERAU students. During the weekend, the university showcases students' accomplishments thus far in the various projects they have been taking part in throughout the school year. 

Storage Scholars and Embry Riddle Aeronautical University

ERAU has been a partner with Storage Scholars since its early days. It is one of the schools with which Storage Scholars has key access to provide top-notch service to its customers. This means that they've teamed up with ERAU's Residence Life and can access the dorms before students move in at the start of school and after they move out at the end of the year. The campus is run by Campus Co-founders Kian Rivera Melendez and Emily Roerig for a more tailored and personalized experience. 

Over the summer of 2022, Storage Scholars rolled out its brand new "Ship to School" Program, and ERAU was one of six campuses able to test it out. Students received shipping boxes and supplies at their homes, filled them with their belongings, and shipped them to the Storage Scholars warehouse (located near campus), where they stayed until a week before college move-in. At that time, Melendez, Roerig, and their team used their key access to drop off those boxes before students arrived on campus. In addition to shipping boxes from their home, Students could also order items from online retailers and have those dropped off as well. Students and parents raved about the convenience of the program and the efficiency with which it was executed. Kudos to all the student movers for launching a successful Ship-To-School program. To find out more about Storage Scholars and secure your spot for an upcoming campus move, visit www.StorageScholars.com.

Sources:

https://erau.edu/about/brief-historyThis 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Embry%E2%80%93Riddle_Aeronautical_University_alumni

List of Embry–Riddle Aeronautical University alumni - Wikipedia

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