Hello, my name is Cornelius Holness and I am from Enfield, North Carolina. I am a junior Aviation Science major with a minor in Space Science at Elizabeth City State University.  As a child I was interested in space and what exactly it entailed, thinking back on my earliest childhood memories, I knew I would one day make a career in this field. It’s an interest that I truly believe will never die out, with there being so much to learn. 

While in high school, I participated in all activities, clubs and societies that were science, and space related activities, by the end of my matriculation, I understood that aviation was and still is an upcoming industry and anything space or science related would be my greatest passion. As a member of CERSER, I have the opportunity to apply to internships and attend conferences that pertain to my career interest. CERSER will help me in the development of the technical skills I will need in order to pursue not only these internships but also my future career.

 My expectations for this career are very high and I feel that it will be a great field for me, whether I thrive upon being aloft or on the ground there are new technological advances and sociocultural influences are combining to form new aviation careers. As of right now I am on the right track to go to graduate from Elizabeth City State and I believe I’ve received the proper tutelage to become successful in whatever route I pursue.

During the spring of 2015 I was a part of a research group called Team Bumblebee, mentored by, Mr. Edward “Clay” Swindell. Our research was based on developing a working methodology for CERSER’s use of U.A.V.s for future remote sensing and archeological purposes and to produce new data sets archaeologists could use in future studies.. We flew a DJI Phantom Vision 2+ over an archaeological site in Bertie County, NC to examine the area and to take pictures of an old Native American village. Through the pictures that were taken we generated a photo mosaic showing to anomalies of the land that could possibly be signs of an old Native American village.

There are so many positives to my career such as me just being able to go into this field of study and actually have a career that I know I’m going to enjoy, and I personally feel that there are no negatives to my career choice. I am more than ready for anything career challenges that will be thrown my way; I’m no stranger to hard work and dedication.  The next phases I hope to embark on, will be joining the military, and then to further my education by obtaining a Master’s degree with a PhD in the same field in the more distant future. My ultimate goal is to work for the Department of Defense in the research and development division. I am sure that there is no better place to continue education in the field I have chosen. I also believe that it is the best place for me to find use of my abilities and make a contribution to the sphere of science I have chosen.