A 27-year-old African-American man named Justin Mutawassim has achieved his 𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘥hood dream, becoming a pilot at Delta Air Lines—the same airline where he once worked as a ramp agent.

A “ramp agent” is an airport employee who provides ground support services for aircraft, including guiding and parking planes, loading and unloading luggage and cargo, and performing cabin maintenance tasks, ensuring smooth airport operations

Justin’s fascination with flying began at the age of five, when he took his first flight and had the chance to explore the cockpit. That moment ignited his passion for aviation, but the path to achieving his goal was not straightforward.

In middle school, a teacher who had served in the United States Air Force mistakenly told him that perfect vision was required to become a pilot. Since Justin wore glasses, he gave up on his dreams.

Then, he had no way to  verify the information at the time making him shift his focus to broadcasting, eventually enrolling in college and landing jobs in the field. However, he never enjoyed any of the job and felt aviation would be better.

A year later, he dropped out of college and took a job as a ramp agent at Delta Air Lines in 2014, handling baggage and providing ground support for aircraft. As he worked behind the scenes, his love for aviation only grew stronger.

He earned promotion with a short time, becoming a supervisor and later an instructor, but he still lacked the confidence to pursue a career in the cockpit.

Fortunately, his life took a different turn in 2016, he met Ivor Martin, a Black pilot who would become his mentor. After sharing his dream of flying, Justin received the guidance and encouragement he had been missing.

With Martin’s support, he completed his pilot licenses in under a year, officially beginning his aviation career.

By 2018, Justin was flying for a regional airline, later transitioning to a startup airline. His defining moment came in 2022, when he learned that Delta Air Lines no longer required a college degree for pilot applicants.

Seeing an opportunity to return to the airline where his journey began, he applied—and after months of rigorous training, he officially became a Delta pilot.

Celebrate his achievement, Justin shared a powerful side-by-side photo on Twitter—one of himself as a ramp agent in 2016, and another as a Delta pilot in 2022. “This one has been six long years in the making,” he wrote.

Now, as he works toward becoming a captain, he is also pursuing a degree in Aviation Science while mentoring aspiring pilots—paying forward the same support that once changed his life.