When Lydia Koehler, College of A&GS Outstanding Junior, spoke at the OU Aviation Announcement on 11/07/2022, she called the School of Aviation Studies a family. It was a feeling she picked up when touring at the University while still in high school. “This felt like home, and OSU felt more like a business,” she said. “That was a big deciding factor for me.
She describes the faculty and staff of the school as welcoming. “Each person I have encountered has been nothing but encouraging. They so much desire to see you succeed.”
Koehler originally planned to pursue a career as a veterinarian, but her own waning interest, coupled with her mother taking a job as a flight attendant while Koehler was in high school, convinced her to look toward a career in the skies. Koehler chose OU specifically for the aviation program. “Everyone kept pointing to OU. [They told me] the aviation program is unmatched.”
Though she only came into OU as a freshman last year, Koehler has enough credits to graduate in the Spring of 2024, cutting her time at the university a bittersweetly short.
Koehler is completing her degree in Aviation Management—Flying. “Getting to have a degree where it’s completely hands-on and you’re doing something every single day and can see your progression is the best,” she said.
Koehler is part of the pipeline program with Southwest Airlines. After graduation, she’ll start with one of Southwest’s regional partner airlines. Koehler hopes to join XO and take advantage of a program where pilots fly based out of Prague for six months.
She says the biggest influence on her education here has been Assistant Director Eric Metoyer. “He has been such a huge resource of me in sending every single scholarship that passes his desk [my way],” said Koehler. He took time out of his schedule to help her prepare for her speech at the aviation announcement event. He has also been instrumental in helping Koehler navigate the process of studying abroad in Arezzo, Italy.
“The future of aviation is so incredibly bright,” said Koehler. “Aviation is only 100 years. To think that we’ve made the amount of advancements that we have in 100 years is crazy. In my lifetime, what else is going to happen in aviation that will be mind-boggling to people?”
Koehler is an RA, part of the Colonel Ken Carson Leadership Program, and a member of the OU rowing team. She’s passionate about volunteer work and serving others, particularly elderly communities. She enjoys reading and baking in her spare time.
By Kathryn Gebauer
Article Published: Tuesday, December 20, 2023
