"However, this is a very versatile degree that equips you with transferable skills you can use in many different careers – don’t be afraid to do something unique."
Stormy Howard
- Degree: Bachelor of Applied Science
- Grad year: 2020
- Program:
- Campus: Okanagan
Job: Pilot in training through the Delta Propel Company Pilot Training Program
What got you interested in engineering?
Engineering became a tangible idea for me when I saw my parents building a 40-foot motorhome when I was a kid. Watching them design the motorhome, choose the materials and build it was very inspiring and got me thinking about construction and the different ways materials can be used. I competed at the Canada-Wide Science Fair with a project on the structural insulated panels they chose for our motorhome and how they could be used in remote and emergency housing situations.
Any highlights from your time as an undergraduate?
UBC Okanagan is a very tight-knit community, which is fantastic.
One highlight was all the group projects you do in your courses. It can be stressful at the time, and I understand why a lot of students aren’t a fan of group work, but learning how to be part of a team is essential. It set me up well for my career where I was working with and managing so many different personalities and people with a wide range of skill sets.
Tell us about your first job after graduating.
I was almost finished my last semester of university when COVID hit and everything went online. I packed up my apartment in early March and moved to southern Utah where I finished out the school year online and began working as an intern for Jviation, an engineering consulting firm focused on design and construction management in aviation infrastructure.
My job encompassed the design and construction management of everything from the outerwall of the airport terminal to the outer fence – think runway and taxiway designs, drainage systems and electrical systems. The winter months focused on design and in the summer months I was the resident engineer on site to inspect the construction and make sure it conformed to our plans and FAA regulations for airport design.
One highlight was working on the reconstruction of the runway of the Jackson Hole Airport, which is the only airport in the U.S. in a national park – Grand Teton National Park. We closed the airport for 78 days and ran a 24-hour operation to remove and rebuild the 6,300-foot runway.
You then moved to Delta Air Lines as a project lead in design and construction – tell us about your responsibilities.
In 2022 I began working as a design and construction project leader for Delta Air Lines. Instead of working on the airfield side of things I began working on the areas and spaces that Delta occupies in airports – like employee break rooms, ticket counters, gatehouses and Sky Club lounges.
I managed a portfolio of over 30 different airports in Canada and the US, including Atlanta, which is the biggest airport in the US in terms of traffic and passenger volume.
Being a relatively young engineer working at one the world’s busiest airport has been an incredible experience and accomplishment – not many people get to say they had complete control over a major airline’s infrastructure inside the world’s busiest airport.
It was very rewarding to become so familiar with Delta’s operations and forming strong relationships through hiring and managing engineers, designers and contractors working on projects.
And now you are training to become a pilot.
I was thrilled to be accepted into Delta’s pilot training program. I am on a leave of absence from my previous role and in training to become an airline transport pilot with Delta Air Lines. I’ve recently completed about 200 hours of flight training and am working on achieving my commercial certificate right now. With this pathway, I will be eligible to fly regional jets for Endeavor Air, a wholly owned subsidiary of Delta Air Lines after which I can then return to Delta to work as a mainline Delta pilot.
I love training to be a pilot for the same reasons I love my work as an engineer: there is so much to learn, and so many opportunities to gain new knowledge and improve your skills.
I have always enjoyed continued learning and training to be a pilot exemplifies that.
Anything else you want to share?
Civil engineering allowed me to enter a field that not many people really know about – I don’t imagine many people go into civil engineering thinking that they will work at an airport and eventually train to become a pilot.
However, this is a very versatile degree that equips you with transferable skills you can use in many different careers – don’t be afraid to do something unique.
