AS RAMONE HEMPHILL reflects on his early life, he speaks of his appreciation for the role models who helped set him on a path to success. Counted among those who influenced him profoundly is a cousin who flew for the U.S. Navy, now an active airline pilot. "He was a real inspiration," said Hemphill, a 38-year-old systems engineer for a major aerospace company. Another contributor to Hemphill's can-do mindset was a Junior ROTC instructor, Sgt. Maj. Willie Owens. "That's the first person who pops up in my mind as a big influence from outside the house," Hemphill said. "He was just a great teacher." Based in Melbourne, Florida, Hemphill is a private pilot with an instrument rating and a complex endorsement who has become a flattering reflection of those who helped mold him. He is the founder of The 99th Squadron, a 501(c)(3) tax exempt nonprofit outfit designed to introduce young students, and particularly students of color, to the broad expanse of career opportunities that can be found in aviation.
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