Why This Student Moved Across the Country to Study Aviation Mechanics at CNM

Michael Waldrop went straight to work after graduating high school in 2009. He spent time as a heavy machine operator and then pivoted to the steel industry, but was still on the hunt for his dream job.

Outside of work, Michael enjoyed working on cars — a skill he learned in a high school career tech program.

“I’ve always loved to tinker with things, take them apart, put them back together, and figure out how mechanisms work,” he says.

Michael knew he liked working with his hands, but he hadn’t found a career path that truly called to him — until he and his wife met a family of pilots.

“My wife Destiny and I became friends with a family that all worked in aviation,” he says. “I wasn’t feeling fulfilled in my current job, and our friends knew I was good at working on cars, so they suggested I look into aviation maintenance.”

Michael had never heard of aviation mechanics before, but once he and Destiny started researching, they were sold.

“Aviation maintenance taps into that curiosity I always had as a kid,” he says. “It’s one thing to work on cars, but it’s another thing entirely to figure out how to make something fly.”

The couple researched various programs in Alabama and across the country. But once they found CNM’s Aviation Technology program, the puzzle pieces started to fit together.

“When it came to the program timeline, cost per semester, and relocation expenses, CNM and Albuquerque made the most sense,” he says.

Once they set their sights on CNM, Destiny secured a nursing job at the University of New Mexico Hospital. They also received support from CNM to help them with their relocation.

“June Friedman, an Academic Technical Assistant for CNM’s School of Skilled Trades & Arts, really helped guide our path here, working with both of us to make sure we did everything we needed to so I could get residency status,” he says. “It can be hard to find the right person when you’re working with a large institution, but we were so lucky to find June. She was really knowledgeable about all the various options at CNM and what would work best for us.”

In July, Michael, Destiny, and their two children moved to New Mexico, and a few months later, Michael went back to school.

“It had been a long time since I was in a classroom,” he says. “It was intimidating at first, but once I got here, I realized the age range was all over the place. I might not have been the youngest anymore, but I wasn’t the oldest either.”

Michael credits his instructor, Jeremy Frick, for helping him ease into the program.

“There’s a lot of information and a lot to learn — it’s been quite a task — but Mr. Frick’s pace has been really great,” he says. “He’s been a teacher for over 10 years and has even more experience in the field. He really knows his stuff.”

While Michael is still figuring out his plans after the two-year program, he says he’s grateful to have the chance to return to school later in life.

“Being a little older now, I can keep my distractions at bay,” he says. “I take it more seriously, which makes it easier to focus and do what I need to do to succeed. I guess what they say is true — it’s never too late to go back to school.”