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From a small town outside of Memphis, Senior Master Sgt. Alicia Stewart’s grandmother did not want her to join the military. Stewart graduated high school early and the military was going to take her granddaughter too far away from home.
It wasn’t until Stewart spent some time with her uncle - who served in the Navy that it opened her horizons to a career in the military.
“He said, ‘you’re smart, I know you like working with numbers and computers, why not explore some of these options with the military,’’’ said Stewart. Not long after that, Stewart was meeting with an Air Force recruiter.
Stewart now serves as the Finance Superintendent for the 165th Airlift Wing and she is the first African-American woman to fulfill that role.
“Another unit member told me, ‘you realize you are the first African-American female in this position,’ I almost dropped the phone,” said Stewart. “I was shocked and I’m honored that I was selected for this position to serve the unit and accomplish the mission.”
When Stewart was stationed in Fort Belvoir, Va., she found her biggest mentor, Lt. Col. Joan Yarnell. “She showed me the way and how to become a successful leader. I learned a lot from her,” said Stewart. “I still call her to this day for advice and how to handle certain situations.”
“If you have a goal - don’t stop! If you don’t have a goal - set one,” said Stewart. “When I first began my career, I never would have imagined I would be here.”
Stewart concluded that people are our best resource. “Talk to people, find a mentor, find people that can give you advice and can help you determine a path you want to take.”
| Date Taken: | 02.28.2019 |
| Date Posted: | 02.28.2019 16:17 |
| Story ID: | 312341 |
| Location: | SAVANNAH, GA, US |
| Web Views: | 218 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, First African-American woman to serve as finance superintendent for 165th Airlift Wing, by MSgt Amber Williams, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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