"College was an investment in my future that I knew would be money well spent." — Nick Prestera, BS degree in Aviation Flight Technology program student

Prestera on the job as a flight instructor for Infinity Flight Group in Ewing Township, N.J.

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Taking Flight

Nicholas "Nick" Prestera's objective is having a career that speaks to him. It's likely that he'll reach that destination ahead of schedule. In a recent interview, he shared what motivates him, how a bachelor's degree will enhance his aviation career and the ways his assumptions about online courses have changed.

Q: Why did you select Thomas Edison State University (TESU)?

Prestera: I chose TESU for a number of reasons. First, I needed a flexible way to complete my Bachelor of Science degree so I could begin working full time as a flight instructor. An online degree program was not my first choice, but after investigating further and speaking to a TESU advisor about what I wanted to accomplish, it became a no-brainer. All of my previously earned credits transferred and my FAA licenses were accepted as credits toward my BS degree in Aviation Flight Technology program. All in all, I will only have to complete 32 credits to finish. This was really good to hear because it gives me the opportunity to study at my own pace while I focus on working toward my career goals.

Q: Can you elaborate on your career goals?

Prestera: My objective is to work as a pilot for a major commercial airline (United, American or Delta Air Lines). Right now I work as a flight instructor for Infinity Flight Group in Ewing Township, N.J., where I am accruing enough hours to move on to a regional airline. Earning a bachelor's degree is imperative to secure a job with a major airline – without it, there would only be a slim chance of getting hired. College was an investment in my future that I knew would be money well spent.

Q. What inspired you to become a pilot?

Prestera: I grew up being exposed to aviation since my father is a pilot. Choosing this career path was never my intention however. My original objective was to pursue a career in meteorology, and I enrolled at Rutgers University to pursue that goal. As time went on, I began to take a hard look at what I wanted out of life and deep down it hit me that what I truly wanted was to become a pilot, so I wound up transferring to Mercer County Community College (MCCC) and enrolling in their aviation flight technology program. It also occurred to me that I would wake up every day excited to do it, to the point where it wouldn't even feel like a job anymore.

Q. Tell us about your academic journey thus far.

Prestera: TESU was the second institution I transferred my academic credits to, and I wouldn't have wanted it any other way. The process of leaving Rutgers University and attending a community college was probably the biggest decision I had to make in my life at that point. For me, it turned out to be a wise move as I finished my classes and earned my commercial and instrument ratings on time thanks to MCCC's staff and the flight instructors at Infinity. Being that I lived 70 miles away from both schools and commuted to them has made me more serious about my intentions. It has also given me a different experience than most and has greatly prepared me for a future in aviation.

Q. How was your experience in transferring previously earned credits to the University?

Prestera: Transferring everything to TESU has been the easiest thing I've done during my college experience. The institution made it seamless and in a short amount of time, everything was posted on my TESU transcript. I’m currently taking my first two courses: Cornerstone: Lifelong Learning Strategies (TES-100) and Living in the Information Age (SOS-110) and feel that I'm off to a good start. I'm getting the hang of navigating through my online courses and managing my time in order to complete my course work on schedule. I plan on taking one to two courses at a time throughout the year. TESU was definitely the right choice for me and I think a lot of people moving through an associate-level aviation flight technology program would be making a good choice to complete their bachelor's degree at TESU.

Learn more about the programs available at the School of Applied Science and Technology.

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