Lt. Col. (Ret.) Rochelle Kimbrell ’98 - Dare to Dream

As a child, Lt. Col. (Ret.) Rochelle Kimbrell ’98, dreamt that one day she would defy gravity, taking her rightful place in the sky among the stars.----more----

SUMMARY

Rochelle Kimbrell shared her journey of growing up as a young black girl in a small town in Colorado who dreamed of becoming a fighter pilot. Despite being told she couldn't or shouldn't pursue this goal, she developed a strong work ethic and passion for flying from a young age.

She meticulously planned her path, gaining leadership experience in Civil Air Patrol and excelling academically to earn an appointment to the Air Force Academy. Kimbrell overcame challenges like failing a class by changing majors and learning from mistakes.

As one of the first female fighter pilots, Kimbrell faced obstacles like lack of proper gear and medical issues. She discussed the difficulties of balancing pregnancy/motherhood with her flying career due to changing policies.

After 13 years of active duty service, Kimbrell transitioned to the reserves and pursued public speaking and entrepreneurship. This allowed her to find fulfillment in empowering and mentoring others, especially young minorities.

 

OUR FAVORITE QUOTES

"My parents always feel this to just just go out and chase our dreams and follow our dreams, and, you know, to forge our own paths and to be strong."

"I think we plan our vacations really well. But I don't think we plan our lives really well."

"You've got to have a plan for your life. Like yes, you can change course 100%. But you've got to have first vision, so that you can start working towards it and figure out what it's going to take."

"You learn that there are many paths that can lead there. And so it was it was okay. And that everybody's gonna have a setback."

"I want to impact people's lives. I want to empower people to be their best selves."

- Lt. Col. (Ret.) Rochelle Kimbrell '89

 

SHARE THIS EPISODE

FACEBOOK  |  LINKEDIN  |  TWITTER  |  EMAIL

 

CHAPTERS

00:00:  Introduction and Background

06:34:  Overcoming Doubts and Breaking Barriers

25:43:  Challenges Faced by Female Fighter Pilots

32:50:  The Importance of Mentorship

49:33:  Dare to Dream and Pursue Your Goals

 

SOME TAKEAWAYS

- Believe in yourself and pursue your dreams, even when others doubt you.

- Having a plan and being willing to pivot can lead to unexpected opportunities.

- Overcoming challenges and setbacks is part of the journey to success.

- Representation matters - being a role model can inspire others to pursue their own dreams. Female fighter pilots faced challenges in terms of camaraderie, gear, and facilities.

- Balancing motherhood and a career as a fighter pilot was challenging.

- Mentorship is important, and mentors don't have to look like you.

- It's important to dare to dream and pursue your goals, despite obstacles and failures.

- Planning your life and having a clear vision of where you want to go is crucial.

 

COL. KIMBRELL'S BIO

Retired U.S. Air Force Lt. Col. Rochelle Kimbrell is a charismatic trailblazer whose road to becoming the US military’s first Black female fighter pilot started when she was a little girl growing up in Parker, Colorado. She had a dream that was beyond the imagination of most. In a time before women were allowed to fly fighter aircraft and women being in combat was literally against the law, those boundaries were no deterrent for Rochelle. Powered by a dream, R