Michael Gorzynski has been fascinated by flying since he was a kid, recalling that the only things he ever made from LEGO® bricks were planes.
After flying and maintaining Blackhawk helicopters all over the world for the U.S. Army, the first-generation transfer student has joined Rutgers–Camden this fall to launch a mission of his own.
Raised in Passaic and Middlesex counties, a young Gorzynski researched helicopters and their mechanics, which sparked his interest in serving in the U.S. Air Force at 17. An administrative error disqualified him from serving in that branch, but he was welcomed into the U.S. Army, where he would learn to fly and repair UH-60, or Blackhawk, helicopters.
He logged more than 350 flight hours, attended a military-issued technical school to learn helicopter maintenance, and then served at Hunter Army Airfield in Savannah, Georgia for close to three years. He was later selected to perform aircraft maintenance for the 160th, which is the Army’s Special Operations Aviation Regiment (SOAR).
“The best way to describe it is we’re the taxi drivers for the special forces,” said Gorzynski. Nicknamed the “Night Stalkers,” special forces are capable of quick reaction and deployment anywhere in the world within 30 seconds. Gorzynski’s work required an additional, intensive level of training called “Green Platoon,” which, in his session, began with 150 soldiers and ended with 50.
While he never saw combat, Gorzynski travelled across the country as well as to Germany, Hungary, Switzerland, and Poland on multiple missions.
Gorzynski chose to move on from the military but was indebted to the friends he made and lessons he learned. “The people there are amazing. The experiences I’ve had are never going to be matched again,” he said. He added he’s part of a few local veterans organizations, which keep him close to the community.
While enlisted, he had taken college courses for two years; however, the online format made it difficult for him to stay motivated. “I just didn’t like the lack of structure. It kind of soured me on the idea of college,” he said. After leaving the service, he landed on aircraft mechanic contract roles in the private sector, but a series of layoffs forced him to rethink his career and his pursuit of higher education.
Born and raised in New Jersey, Gorzynski could think of only one school to apply to. “Rutgers was the obvious choice; Rutgers was always my first choice. Nothing more to it,” he said. “I also know it is a really good university. It helps when your home university is among the best in a lot of areas.”
The proximity of the Rutgers–Camden campus and the in-person classroom experience just clicked for Gorzynski, who spoke highly of everything from the One Stop to the on-campus Starbucks. “And then you actually get to the classes, and the professors are so open to conversation and discussion, and they’re very understanding of the problems that students face, too. There’s a real sense of warmth and welcoming here,” he said.
The new student is considering a major change inspired by professors, students, and parents of kids he’s coached who have said he would make a good teacher. A lifelong hockey player, Gorzynski is a volunteer goalie coach for high school and elementary students in nearby Pennsauken and in Kensington. “It really is a lot of fun,” he said.
Despite leaving a technical field behind, he sees his military background complementing his future vocation. “I think the military, socially, definitely allowed me to learn who I am and how I should engage with people,” he explained. “It taught me how to be more social, more open, and welcoming to people in general. And I think for a teacher in an education role, that is crucial.”
Gorzynski is still fairly new to campus but has already become active, speaking at this fall’s Transfer Week events and working to see how he can help transfer student veterans adjust to life at Rutgers–Camden.
And while he might not make a career of it, he is still interested in flying. “I hope eventually, I can progress and get a private pilot’s license. It would be nice to be able to just hop up and go to anywhere I want—that’d be cool, you know, one day,” he said.