"Growing up around two military grandfathers — one was a fighter pilot in the Air Force, the other, a crew chief/mechanic who worked on Corsair fighters during World War II — there was no doubt, I wanted to be a pilot.

"Then my baby sister arrived. When she was born, she wasn't breathing; a nurse named Barbara saved her life. My mom was so thankful she named my sister Barbara.

"That stuck with me. I wanted to be a nurse, too. Both my dreams came true at Weber State, where I got the medical education I wanted and the ROTC training I needed to become a pilot."