Carole Hopson, our guest today, is a New Jersey native who took notice of the airplanes flying above her in the sky at the young age of four. Although she admired flight because she didn't see other black women pilots, let alone pilots who wore glasses like her, Carole didn't consider an aviation career. 

She went on to earn her bachelor's degree from the University of Virginia and a master's in journalism from Columbia University. Carole's impressive career path includes being a journalist, working for the NFL, and serving in executive leadership positions for Foot Locker and L'Oréal.

It wasn't until Carole was flying on a business trip as a passenger when the pilot invited her to the flight deck that she discovered that she, too, could be a pilot. At age 34, Carole pivoted, leaving behind her successful career, and started flight training. At an aviation conference, Carole first discovered Bessie Coleman's story of becoming the first African woman pilot, and she was inspired. She started writing a book about Bessie's life and her historical flying adventures. 

Today, Carole, a mother of two boys, is a first officer for United Airlines, flying the Boeing 737 aircraft and the author of, “A Pair of Wings, A Novel Inspired by Pioneer Aviatrix Bessie Coleman”.

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