About
People have often told me that I have a special story to tell. As one of the few Black female
airline pilots in the United States, my journey from a wide-eyed ten-year-old with big dreams to flying the Boeing 777 on international routes for a major US airline is a tale of profound
resilience.
After graduating from Southern Illinois University at Carbondale with a bachelor’s
degree in aviation management and flight, my career soared. First, I became a certified flight instructor, where I taught others how to fly, then a traffic patrol pilot, where I flew radio personalities who reported the traffic conditions on the ground, and finally, I became a commercial pilot. I now hold the position of Airline Transport Pilot and I have earned
aircraft type ratings in the B737, B757/767, B777, and B787. And though I accomplished my
childhood dream and excelled in my career, there was a time where I wanted to quit.
The event that threatened to bring it all down was September 11, 2001, when I was eye
witness to the terrorist attacks on the Twin Towers, from my position on the flight deck,
while on the runway at Newark Airport. Navigating the skies on that fateful day, during the
most harrowing day in modern history, added another significant layer to my story. This
pivotal experience is at the heart of my debut memoir, Cleared For Takeoff on 9/11: A Pilot’s Memoir.
My story extends beyond the flight deck. In 2016, I launched Sisters of the Skies Inc.,
a 501c3 nonprofit organization with a mission to increase the number of black female pilots
in professional flightdecks through scholarship, mentorship, and outreach. This organization I cofounded allowed me to turn my passion into an opportunity for other black women in aviation.
In 2023, Sisters of the Skies was the recipient of the Henderson Trophy, a
distinguished award presented by the National Aeronautic Association and displayed at the National Air and Space Museum. Sisters of the Skies has received notable press from Good Morning America, The Kelly Clarkson Show, and Bloomberg, to name a few.
Along with Sisters of the Skies, I have independently garnered significant recognition
for my impact in the skies and on the ground. I have been honored with several prestigious
awards, including the Egretha Award for extraordinary African American Women, the
Council of Urban Professionals Industry Innovator Award, the United Airlines BEACON
Excellence Award for Community Service, the Wells International Foundation Spirit of
Equality Award, and the Tradition of Excellence Award from my high school alma mater,
Oak Park and River Forest, which I share with Ernest Hemingway. My story has also
captured the attention of major media outlets such as CBS News , Essence Disruptors Series, Marie Claire magazine, and the no-longer-published Ebony magazine.
While I was also the cover story for the SIUC Alumni Magazine and selected as an
honoree by Women Leading Travel & Hospitality for its 2024 Top Women Report, my most
notable appearance was in the PBS American Masters: The Women’s List. Here, I was
featured alongside Shonda Rhimes, Madeline Albright, Margaret Cho, and other remarkable trailblazers who shaped and influenced American Culture.
In my personal life, I've faced challenges as compelling as those in my professional
journey. As a breast cancer survivor, I've learned the true meaning of strength and resilience. Today, I advocate for health and wellness among women, which has shaped my character and added depth and authenticity to my story.
I am a Chicago native turned Houstonian, as I have lived in Houston, Texas for the last seventeen years. I am a proud mother of a twenty-one-year-old corporate pilot son, who followed in my aviation footsteps, a thirteen-year-old daughter who loves to travel, but is not interested in becoming a pilot, and our cherished three-year-old Maltipoo.