Veteran pilot touches down in Macon to share checklist for success

MACON, Miss. (WCBI) – A veteran pilot touched down in Macon to share a checklist for success with students.

Angel Hughes has been flying since she was 16 years old. The veteran Coast Guard Aviator now takes to the skies with UPS Airlines.

She spoke to Noxubee County High School students about not only having a dream to follow but also putting in the work to make it happen.

Hughes stressed the importance of having a solid educational foundation, especially in the areas of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math.

She also said it’s important for students to see what they can be.

“Seeing is believing, and I believe that representation absolutely matters, so coming out here, speaking to the kids, if they see me here dressed as a pilot; I’m pretty sure for a majority of them, they’ve never seen a pilot that looks like me. I say that, because I didn’t see a pilot that looked like me until I was about 30 years old, and I had been in the aviation industry at that point for over 10 years. So, just coming here, representation matters. The kids can see me then they can visualize themselves in the same position,” said Hughes.

Hughes got bitten by the flying bug early. She credited her sixth-grade science class for getting her interested in aviation.

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