Jul 9, 2020
In many high-intensity careers, women have had to prove themselves equal to men and have often had to choose between the career and aspirations of a family life. This has historically been prevalent in the Armed Forces. Today, Melissa May shares her experience of girls flying fighters and how her determination to set the bar for those who followed after her meant she was able to have it all.
Melissa has always stood apart from the crowd. Whether it was her hobbies, her upbringing, or her lavish red hair bringing her to the focus, it’s no surprise that her career choice placed her outside the mainstream, too.
Entering the Air Force with no background experience in the field, meant that Melissa had a whole new world open up to her. Her journey has seen her medically discharged, reinstated with a waiver that prohibited her from flying, travel the world, attain unattainable goals, fly fighter jets you can only dream of, walk away from air combat unscathed, and so much more.
What’s more, Melissa is one of the very few women ever to be awarded a Distinguished Flying Cross, an award presented to Amelia Earhart and Eileen Collins, a space shuttle commander.
Not content with this life, Melissa decided that she also wanted a family and was not willing to accept that it was one or the other. Working in an industry that housed only 8% of female employees, she set out to create a community in which women fighter pilots could find support, morale, and mentorship.
Listen in to today’s episode to find out how she believes that it was her unwavering acceptance of being different that set her up to become one of the first female fighter pilots in the USA, and how she balances her dramatic lifestyle with the roles of wife, mother, and friend.
Links mentioned in the show:
Where can people discover more about Melissa?
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