Name: Jonathan (Jon) Galvan
Major: Flight Operations Minor: Spanish
Hometown: Los Angeles, Calif.
Jonathan (Jon) Galvan didn’t take the traditional route when deciding on a college. He didn’t go on a campus tour or choose a college all his friends would be attending. To pursue his dream of becoming a pilot, he moved nearly 700 miles away from home to an unfamiliar campus and state.  

By taking a chance and relocating to Westminster College, Jon has become part of the great institution he learned about online. In Westminster’s unique learning environment, students receive a more personalized education. Small course sizes allow students to get to know their professors; whether its course related or personal, professors will set aside time to meet with students. The instructors are dedicated and committed to helping students succeed. “They challenge you and you bust your back,” Jon says, “But in the long run it helps. They’re setting you up for life.”  

Jon started Westminster as a flight operation major, pursuing a career in commercial flying. “It has been my dream to fly and it’s my passion,” he says. As plans changed within the last year, so did Jon’s career path. He decided an aviation management degree was a better fit and would allow him to stay within the aviation industry. Preparing to graduate next May, Jon is also planning ahead for an internship with Southwest Airlines in Dallas, Texas for the summer of 2010. 

Aside from flying, Jon is also interested in the performing arts. He laughed while discussing the vast differences in his interests. “In high school, I was your jock in the fall and theatre kid in the spring,” he says. Jon’s experiences in the performing arts include music and theatre. His favorite non-major related course at Westminster has been choir. “It [Griffin Chorus] came out to be such a great stress reliever," he says.

Outside of a full course-load, Jon also works two part-time jobs—at the START Center and FedEx. As an advisor for aviation and business majors in the START Center, Jon helps students schedule courses and determine an academic plan for completing their degree. At FedEx, his job provides him with the opportunity to network with professional pilots and use them as a guide for reaching his career goal. 

Jon is currently a senior at Westminster. As an out-of-state student, he moved to Salt Lake not knowing anyone. However, in Westminster’s close-knit environment, making friends wasn’t a problem. Some of his favorite memories were of freshman year—participating in the orientation activities and living in the dorms. He laughs as he recalls blasting music from his room and hanging out with everyone in the main living area of his floor. “It was like a big family,” he says. “We got to know each other the entire year.”  

Jon has been enjoying his Westminster experience. The social and educational aspects have made positive impacts on his life. “The amount of education and attention you receive here cannot be compared by many other schools,” he says.