WMU alumni Matt Thaler and Corey Davis have something in common other than their diplomas. Both have made it "in The Bigs," "in The Show," "on Broadway."
Davis plays in front of thousands of people and before millions on television as a wide receiver for the Tennessee Titans in the National Football League.
While far less notable to the general public, Thaler is nonetheless at the top of his profession as a Boeing 717 first officer for Delta Air Lines based out of Detroit.
Both have themselves, their skills and their dedication to credit for their success, all embellished, polished and credentialed -- one by the Western football program and the other by the WMU College of Aviation.
There's another link. Thaler has the technical wherewithal to go watch Davis wherever he plays these days. As a Bronco sports fan during his Western years, he has that track record.
Raised in the southeastern Michigan village of Pinckney, Thaler says choosing WMU for higher education was an easy decision. "Being a Michigan native and with the opportunity to attend a top-tier aviation program only two hours from home was very appealing. I also appreciated the fact that Western had a Division 1 sports program."
That latter factor forged some of his best collegiate memories, what he called "the best years of his life so far":
- Winning the CCHA hockey championship in 2012 with a 3-2 victory over the University of Michigan -- when "Bronco Nation turned out in force."
- Storming the Waldo Stadium turf after the Broncos capped off a 12-0 regular season in 2016 with a win over the Toledo Rockets.
- Another "Bronco Nation" celebration at Ford Field in Detroit when an attendance of 46,000 -- overwhelmingly wearing brown and gold -- watched Western win the 2016 MAC championship defeating Ohio University.
- That season's Cotton Bowl and the valiant battle against Wisconsin. "I was able to fly down -- thanks to flight benefits -- with three friends to join the thousands of Bronco fans in Dallas."
Thaler says his yen for flying springs from childhood. Disney World wasn't the best part of a family vacation. It was the plane ride. "I wasn't in a financial position to learn to fly before going to college" after graduating from Pinckney High School in 2010. "I got my aviation fix through hobbies like photography and model-aircraft building. No doubt that I wanted to fly when I was a kid. We just didn't have the money for that, which is why when I got my pilot's license because of Western, it was a special moment for me."
Thaler earned his degrees in aviation flight science and aviation management and operation -- with a minor in general business -- in the spring of 2015. On the way to that achievement, he worked as a webmaster for the College of Aviation during his entire time at Western. He also took part in recruitment events and tours for the college, which landed him a post-graduation job with Crosswinds Aviation.
Webmastering wasn't his only for-pay task in his chosen field. Thaler served as a flight instructor for the Western program where he learned what teachers always say about their profession -- the best thing about the job is what you learn from your students.
"Being a flight instructor," Thaler says, "is one of the best ways to develop your pilot skills. It is the first time you are truly asked to evaluate someone else's performance, which helps you notice ways to improve yourself as a pilot. Flight instructing also teaches you how to work with different personalities. That's helpful in transitioning to flying in a multi-crew environment."
After graduation, the next logical step was to be hired as a lead flight instructor for Crosswinds Aviation that flies out of the airport serving Howell, Mich. In addition to building his leadership skills, Thaler polished his "different-personalities" perspectives, working with student pilots ranging in age from 11 to 70.
Within a very short time, though, Endeavor Air, the regional enterprise that operates as Delta Connection for Delta Air Lines, began signing his paychecks. In addition to flying for his first airline, Thaler became active in the Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA) International that boasts of 63,000 members employed by 35 airlines. In addition to other duties, he volunteered to serve on ALPA's grievance committee. "These experiences -- some of the best in my career -- allowed me to connect with and help my fellow aviators."
Flashing back to his College of Aviation days, Thaler relished the flight labs and the class in advanced aircraft systems. "I enjoyed its hands-on aspects," he says. "Understanding complex aircraft systems was always difficult for me, but being able to see -- and handle -- what the textbook was talking about really helped." Similarly his flight instructor, Jarrett Kinder, had the same kind of approach, "teaching subjects in a way I understood.
"Not only did he teach me how to fly in my private and instrument course," Thaler says, "he showed me what it takes to be an effective flight instructor. Jarrett and his wife, Stephanie, provided guidance while I was at Western and they still do."
Part of that guidance was to not to be a lone wolf on campus, but to get involved and build a resume. Thaler served as vice president of the Aviation Student Council for three years, and as the organization's president as a senior. In that capacity, he fostered the initiative to secure bus service for aviation students from the main Western campus in Kalamazoo to the program's headquarters at Kellogg Field in Battle Creek through the Western Student Association (of which he was a member) and the university itself. Other affiliations were the aviation-student fraternity Alpha Eta Rho and ALPA's outreach organization for collegians.
And it has all paid dividends. "Getting to fly around the country and meet the dedicated professionals in the industry" are aviation's best calling cards, Thaler believes. "Outside of flying itself," he says, "the best perk is the ability to utilize Delta's vast network to travel the world. I try to fly somewhere new every few months and visit a new country once a year." So far, The Netherlands, Italy, Germany and Ireland have stamped his passport.
And, of course, there's traveling to a dozen or so Bronco sporting events each year -- maybe a Titans game to watch Davis in action. There was a flight to Nevada with some Bronco buddies to watch Western compete in a hockey tournament in Las Vegas.
Education is not only a chance to expand horizons and enlighten perspectives. It's an investment in one's life. Student debt -- you bet. But listen to Thaler:
"The biggest challenge was being able to pay for my education. I was not in a position to be able to fly without amassing significant student debt. But my career trajectory has enabled me to pay down my loans fairly quickly. My goal was to pay them off within five years and I will reach that."
Being a pilot requires flexibility and coping skills. "You are away from home days in a row," he says about balancing work and a private life. He's always wanted a golden retriever as a pet, but that wouldn't be fair to the dog at this stage of his career.
Another paradox, in Thaler's view, is that aviation -- the epitome of expanding one's personal horizons -- "is such a small world. It is important that we take care of each other in the aviation family" as he tried to do as an ALPA union representative. "Recognizing the value that my WMU education provided me, I like to share that with aspiring aviators." Thaler regularly takes children flying through the Young Eagles program. "I've had so much help in my career, I want to give it back."
Especially to the institution that made it all possible.
"Attending WMU is a decision I will never regret," he says. "I made most of my best friendships there and maintain those relationships to this day. The College of Aviation has a strong reputation in the industry, which is one reason I was able to land my first jobs and now the one I always wanted. Since I was young, I dreamed of flying for Delta Air Lines. And now here I am. I am one of the fortunate few who get to say they have achieved their goal."