From the time he was little, Matt McDonald ’10 wanted to be a pilot, and today he has a commercial pilot’s license. He transferred to Wittenberg from Cleveland State after he completed his flight training.
McDonald came with an interest in business, but when he needed to take a science class with a lab, he enrolled in a weather and climate course and discovered that he could incorporate a lot of geography with maps in his future as a pilot.
He has a campus job as an admission tour guide and an off-campus job at the Springfield Airport, where he is also working on his license to teach others to fly. He has finished his commercial multi-engine training and continues to log flight time to meet the requirements necessary for employment with a commercial airline.
When he’s not in class or working, McDonald can be found skateboarding in nearby Ferncliff Cemetery or sailing at the nearby reservoir as co-captain of the Sailing Club, a university club sport.
A member of the Delta Tau Delta fraternity, he also makes time to work on the philanthropic projects of the fraternity, one of which is Bleed Purple, which supports college students diagnosed with cancer.
“At Wittenberg I’ve learned to go outside my comfort zone. I have interacted with diverse people, lived in close quarters and established relationships with faculty. Before I came, I had a direction for what I wanted to do with my life, and I feel I’m building a strong base for my future,” he says.
- Written by Phyllis Eberts '00
- Photo by Robbie Gantt
