Chalfont, Pennsylvania native Nicole Bonk lettered in soccer, cross country and track and field during her time at Embry-Riddle from 2009-13. She started out as a member of the ERAU women’s soccer team in the fall of 2009, playing in eight matches for the Eagles as a freshman. In the spring of 2010, she moved to the track and in the fall of that year she made the decision to give up soccer and focus on cross country and track. 

Prior to Embry-Riddle, Bonk had never competed in racewalking and took up the discipline at the suggestion of Assistant Track & Field coach Peter Hopfe. It turns out she was a natural in that event.

In just her first season of racewalking competition in 2011, Bonk won gold at The Sun Conference championships and qualified for the both the NAIA Indoor and Outdoor National Championship racewalking events.

The 2012 season proved to be a breakout year for Bonk. She was crowned National Champion in the 3000m Racewalk at the NAIA Indoor National Championships and became just the second ERAU track & field student-athlete to win multiple national titles in the same year, claiming her second national championship in the 5000m Racewalk at the NAIA Outdoor National Championships.

Bonk qualified for the U.S. Olympic Trials and represented the United States at the 2012 North America, Central American and Caribbean Islands Under-23 Championships later took home a bronze medal in 10,000m Racewalk.

Bonk capped her career with her third national title in 2013. She not only won the 3000m Racewalk at the NAIA Indoor National Championships, she broke both the NAIA record and the collegiate record in the process.

Bonk graduated from Embry-Riddle with a degree in Unmanned Aircraft Systems Science and currently works for Skydio in California. Read about her experiences at Embry-Riddle and her journey to where she is today.

Why did you choose Embry-Riddle?

Embry-Riddle is recognized as one of the world's largest accredited aviation universities and having that name attached to your resume carries more weight than many may think. The moment I walked onto campus for a college tour I was blown away by all the airplanes and hands-on experience the students got. I knew then that Embry-Riddle was the right choice for me.

What’s your fondest memory about your time as an ERAU student-athlete?

Hitting a qualification standard in the 20k Racewalk to make it to the US Olympic Trials.

Who had the biggest influence on you during your athletic career?

Coach Hopfe was one of the biggest influences in my athletic career. He taught me that I was capable of anything I set my mind to and that your competitor is not the one next to you, it's the person inside of you. I take this and apply it to my daily life and career.

What would you say were your greatest athletic and academic accomplishments during your time at ERAU?

Being a three-time National Champion in Racewalking, walking for the USA U-23 team in Mexico, and going to the Olympic Trials. On the academic side, I was one of the first female graduates of my career leading a UAS flight testing team.

What was your favorite non-athletics activity at ERAU?

Being a part of the UAS Club.

What do you remember most vividly about your time at ERAU?

Looking back on my time at ERAU, the education I received through my classes was important, but I vividly remember all of the awesome relationships I made along the way. In addition to that, getting to fly airplanes multiple times a week to achieve my pilot certifications was awesome.

What did you do right after graduating from ERAU?

I lead a flight testing team offsite for Google X Project Wing.

Tell us a little bit about what you’re doing now.

I am currently the Head of Flight Testing for Skydio. We build fully autonomous drones that can fly themselves using our advanced AI solutions. As Head of Flight Testing, my goal is to develop the flight test department to ensure product safety and reliability is tested to ensure maximum level of confidence before releasing the product to customers.

How did your experience at ERAU shape your career path?

I originally wanted to be a commercial airline pilot and started out on the Aeronautical Science degree path. After my freshman year, I realized that I still wanted to fly airplanes but I wanted to flight test unmanned aircraft even more. ERAU helped me to achieve my goals by transitioning over to the UAS degree - Pilot Track. Through awesome networking and extracurricular activities, I was able to establish my skill set and start working in the real world doing flight test engineering on UAS systems.

What are some lessons you learned at ERAU that have served well in your life after college?

Graduating with the Unmanned Aircraft Systems Science Degree gave me the subject specific knowledge I needed for my technical skill set. Joining clubs and organizations outside of my everyday classes helped me get better hands-on experience. I also just learned adulting skills during my time at ERAU (time management, healthy diet, communication, etc).

What advice do you have for ERAU’s current student-athletes?

Leave nothing on the table, give each day everything you have and graduate knowing that you have a sense of accomplishment and fulfillment with no regrets.