Student Sharpens Maintenance and Management Talents Thanks to Scholarship

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Javier Hernandez Rizo is bringing a resourcefulness, global perspective and broad interest in aviation management and maintenance to a career the Damon and Debra D’Agostino Endowed Scholarship will help him launch next year.

Born in Santiago de Cuba, Cuba, his family came to South Florida when he was a child. Rebuilding a truck engine with his father and working on a Jet Ski and boat with his brother, his tinkering revealed a talent for identifying and fixing problems. He found he liked working with his hands and considered becoming an auto mechanic. He decided he wanted something more challenging and hoped for a college experience.

When his goal shifted to aviation, a degree from Embry-Riddle became his “north star.”

His goal became to earn his Airframe and Powerplant licenses and combine his education in aviation maintenance science with a concentration in aviation maintenance management. He sees the opportunity to study both disciplines as mutually beneficial and plans to become an aircraft technician for corporate or commercial aircraft.

“If I were to become a director of maintenance, I understand the requirements of the job,” he says. “My experience as a crew lead and project lead in my aviation maintenance science classes has helped me work effectively with a team, communicating what needs to be done and handling scheduling, as well as ensuring the quality of our work.”

He is a member of the Airport Management Club and Society of Aircraft Technicians. As a student, he has put himself as close to the action as possible, manually towing aircraft at the Daytona Beach Campus Homecoming Fly In and serving as crew lead for an Aviation Maintenance Science class. He also toured the St. Pete-Clearwater International Airport, which serves four airlines and is home to the busiest Coast Guard Air Station in the world.

Beyond the classroom, you can find him at Hangar 606 at Daytona Beach International Airport. His part-time job is with Clear2Fly Aerospace, an aircraft on-ground service provider.

“We can get a call that a plane is down anywhere in the state of Florida. Our job is to troubleshoot, repair and get them airworthy,” he explains.

His business studies have given him a perspective on finance that heightens the immediate and long-term value he places on his scholarship.

“It allows me to reduce the amount of government loans to pay for tuition, housing, books – and my toolkit – and decreases the debt I accrue throughout my college career,” he says. “I’m very grateful to the companies and individuals who create donor scholarships that make a difference to students like me.”

There is a Cuban expression for someone who is very talented. They say the person “goes to Havana to extinguish fires” (va a La Habana y apaga fuego.) Drawing on his solid foundation in maintenance and management, Javier Hernandez Rizo won’t just put out fires, he will prevent them.