American Stories
Our team members come to us from all backgrounds and are all integral to giving you a world-class experience.
HBCU Trailblazers
Building a career in industries like IT and engineering, which have been historically male-dominated, has been challenging for women — especially women of color. Despite more recent gains, Black women continue to be underrepresented in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) careers.
American is proud of our team members who are helping break down barriers. Here are four stories of team members from historically Black colleges and universities (HBCU) who are charting their own courses and helping open doors for others.
Five Decades in Flight
Cheryl Gaymon has been flying with American for 55 years and holds the No. 1 seniority spot at DFW. When she joined the company in 1967, the United States was in the midst of the Civil Rights movement. Black flight attendants were few and far between because of systematic barriers previously in place at commercial airlines. Despite these barriers, Cheryl earned her wings.
Cheryl is proud of her status as a history maker and that many more Black Americans are being hired as flight attendants today thanks to the road she helped pave.
Like Mother, Like Daughter
For Philadelphia-based Flight Attendants Collett Springle and Bianca Bennett, working at American isn’t just business as usual — it’s a family affair. The mother-daughter duo takes pride in their work and finds joy in caring for customers, team members and each other — wherever life takes them.
Collet began flying in 1998, and inspired by her mother’s love of diversity and support of others, Bianca announced she would apply to be a flight attendant after college. Through the adversity of a cancer diagnosis, and three-year celebration in recovery, the family is closer than ever and wants to inspire other Black girls to see themselves in the profession.
Sharing the Love of Aviation
Aviation Maintenance Technical Crew Chief David Mansker strives to inspire the next generation of aviation professionals by sharing his passion for the industry with others. As a Black leader in the field, David is laser-focused on sharing his passion for the job and spreading opportunity to the aviation industry.
Living in the hustle and bustle of Los Angeles, David conducts outreach to at-risk youth in underrepresented communities, who aren’t exposed to the same opportunities he had as a kid, and with a mission to show them what their life could look like with a career in aviation. His mentorship outreach has led several of his students to become maintenance technicians at American.
Honoring Those Who Served
At 11, Derek “Triple D” Davidson saw a movie that sparked a passion for aviation. Since then, he hasn’t looked back. But that didn’t come without challenges and a lot of hard work along the way. In 2009, he became a military trainer at the Air Force Academy and grew to love the art of teaching. Having the ability to mentor our future leaders brought him joy and satisfaction. After retirement, he accepted a position at the American Airlines Flight Training department.
He honors Black military aviators and pioneers, like the Tuskegee Airmen, through his work today. “They broke barriers and opened up new possibilities for future Black leaders following in their footsteps.”
A Mission of Mentorship
In March 2019, a colleague and fellow female pilot at American Airlines introduced First Officer Tammy Binns to Sisters of the Skies (SoS), an organization of professional Black female pilots who are committed to supporting future Black female aviators.
Tammy currently serves on the organization’s mentorship committee and has mentored several young women through both SoS and the American Airlines Cadet Academy. She admits that it hasn’t always been a smooth ride. She finds that the biggest challenge as a Black female pilot has been ensuring her voice is heard and that she’s perceived as an equal on the flight deck. Now, Tammy is using her experiences to help mentor future aviators in their path to becoming professional pilots.
“Pilots don’t have to be men, they don’t have to be white, they don’t have to be straight,” Tammy said. “You don’t have to sacrifice who you are to get here. It’s hard work and there are always obstacles to overcome, but there’s a place for passionate students and aviators in this industry if they want to be here.”
Finding Purpose in People
Twenty-two years ago, Lakshman Amaranayaka piled into a car with his twin brother, aunt and uncle bound for Texas from New York. They were going to interview for positions on a newly formed Reservations team near American’s corporate headquarters in Fort Worth. Through his hard work and advocacy, today he’s Vice President of Hub Operations at Philadelphia International Airport.
He has been instrumental in advancing equity and inclusion efforts in Philadelphia as our country works to confront the ills of racial injustice and systemic racism. Through frequent listening sessions, courageous conversations and participation in American’s newly formed Executive Sponsorship Program, his purpose has grown to ensure all team members feel heard and represented in the workplace.
HBCU Trailblazers
Building a career in industries like IT and engineering, which have been historically male-dominated, has been challenging for women — especially women of color. Despite more recent gains, Black women continue to be underrepresented in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) careers.
American is proud of our team members who are helping break down barriers. Here are four stories of team members from historically Black colleges and universities (HBCU) who are charting their own courses and helping open doors for others.
Five Decades in Flight
Cheryl Gaymon has been flying with American for 55 years and holds the No. 1 seniority spot at DFW. When she joined the company in 1967, the United States was in the midst of the Civil Rights movement. Black flight attendants were few and far between because of systematic barriers previously in place at commercial airlines. Despite these barriers, Cheryl earned her wings.
Cheryl is proud of her status as a history maker and that many more Black Americans are being hired as flight attendants today thanks to the road she helped pave.
Like Mother, Like Daughter
For Philadelphia-based Flight Attendants Collett Springle and Bianca Bennett, working at American isn’t just business as usual — it’s a family affair. The mother-daughter duo takes pride in their work and finds joy in caring for customers, team members and each other — wherever life takes them.
Collet began flying in 1998, and inspired by her mother’s love of diversity and support of others, Bianca announced she would apply to be a flight attendant after college. Through the adversity of a cancer diagnosis, and three-year celebration in recovery, the family is closer than ever and wants to inspire other Black girls to see themselves in the profession.
Sharing the Love of Aviation
Aviation Maintenance Technical Crew Chief David Mansker strives to inspire the next generation of aviation professionals by sharing his passion for the industry with others. As a Black leader in the field, David is laser-focused on sharing his passion for the job and spreading opportunity to the aviation industry.
Living in the hustle and bustle of Los Angeles, David conducts outreach to at-risk youth in underrepresented communities, who aren’t exposed to the same opportunities he had as a kid, and with a mission to show them what their life could look like with a career in aviation. His mentorship outreach has led several of his students to become maintenance technicians at American.
Honoring Those Who Served
At 11, Derek “Triple D” Davidson saw a movie that sparked a passion for aviation. Since then, he hasn’t looked back. But that didn’t come without challenges and a lot of hard work along the way. In 2009, he became a military trainer at the Air Force Academy and grew to love the art of teaching. Having the ability to mentor our future leaders brought him joy and satisfaction. After retirement, he accepted a position at the American Airlines Flight Training department.
He honors Black military aviators and pioneers, like the Tuskegee Airmen, through his work today. “They broke barriers and opened up new possibilities for future Black leaders following in their footsteps.”
A Mission of Mentorship
In March 2019, a colleague and fellow female pilot at American Airlines introduced First Officer Tammy Binns to Sisters of the Skies (SoS), an organization of professional Black female pilots who are committed to supporting future Black female aviators.
Tammy currently serves on the organization’s mentorship committee and has mentored several young women through both SoS and the American Airlines Cadet Academy. She admits that it hasn’t always been a smooth ride. She finds that the biggest challenge as a Black female pilot has been ensuring her voice is heard and that she’s perceived as an equal on the flight deck. Now, Tammy is using her experiences to help mentor future aviators in their path to becoming professional pilots.
“Pilots don’t have to be men, they don’t have to be white, they don’t have to be straight,” Tammy said. “You don’t have to sacrifice who you are to get here. It’s hard work and there are always obstacles to overcome, but there’s a place for passionate students and aviators in this industry if they want to be here.”
Finding Purpose in People
Twenty-two years ago, Lakshman Amaranayaka piled into a car with his twin brother, aunt and uncle bound for Texas from New York. They were going to interview for positions on a newly formed Reservations team near American’s corporate headquarters in Fort Worth. Through his hard work and advocacy, today he’s Vice President of Hub Operations at Philadelphia International Airport.
He has been instrumental in advancing equity and inclusion efforts in Philadelphia as our country works to confront the ills of racial injustice and systemic racism. Through frequent listening sessions, courageous conversations and participation in American’s newly formed Executive Sponsorship Program, his purpose has grown to ensure all team members feel heard and represented in the workplace.
