After 215 Years, Woman Became First Black Female Helicopter Pilot for the US Coast Guard

• Born in Kingston in Jamaica, Jeanine Menze became the first Black female aviator for the US Coast Guard in 2005
• She earned her Business degree at the Florida International University before joining the establishment
• Menze joined the US Coast Guard in 2003 and worked her way up the ranks to achieve the trailblazing feat

Kingston native Jeanine Menze earned a place in the limelight after becoming the first Black female aviator for the US Coast Guard in 2005 and inspired many.

Born in Jamaica, Menze and her family immigrated to Canada and later moved to Florida, where she earned an International Business degree at the Florida International University.

She began her path towards becoming a pilot after graduating from the university, Black Woman reports.

According to the Foundation for Women Warriors, Menze took flight lessons in Daytona Beach alongside a class of predominantly white males.

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Overcoming the odds

The lack of representation did not stop her from pursuing her passion. She joined the US Coast Guard in 2003 and worked her way up the ranks.

Two years after, she got her aviator wings, earning the trust of her trainers, who sent her on a flight to Hawaii to continue her training.

Menze made history and set the path for Black women and men in her field.

Even though the United States Coast Guard has been around since its founding in 1790, it wasn't until 2005 that the establishment commissioned its first Black female helicopter pilot.

Menze's trailblazing achievement set the path for Black women and men in her field.

After Overcoming Obstacles, African-American Woman Becomes First Person in Her Family to Earn PhD

YEN.com.gh previously reported that Newark native Kiiera Robinson has finally obtained her doctoral degree after overcoming multiple obstacles that came her way.

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Robinson has made history as she becomes the first person to earn a PhD in her family.

The proud woman took to social media to make the achievement public while indicating that it took her hard work.

Lady Celebrates Becoming a Lawyer

YEN.com.gh previously reported that Briya Brown has become a first-generation attorney in her family after passing the bar, and she achieved this through hard work.

As a Black woman and the first person in her family to attain this feat, Brown said she achieved it with ''no guidance or handouts''.

Recounting her success story, she said: ''I passed the Bar exam. God said it, I believed it and declared it, and it is done!

''It was quite a challenge to work, study, and take this rigorous exam virtually during a global pandemic, and my computer crashed twice! I passed the Bar exam yall! And on the first attempt! He is a mighty God,'' she said.

Source: YEN.com.gh