Assistant coach Karen Thompson is vital part of the program for the Oviedo Lions

"Under the Sisterhood" provides podcast series and safe space for women to share

ORLANDO, Fla. – When Ericka Dunlap was crowned Miss America in 2004, she didn’t realize it was a job she would have for the rest of her life. Dunlap won the Miss American 2004 title as the first and only Black Miss Florida, and with the crown came a legacy and a sisterhood. It’s really been an honor because I got to learn how to be a Miss America and be a real person with real woman issues. I credit Leanza Cornett who was the first Miss Florida to win Miss America. She helped me a lot by being transparent and really honest.”AdDunlap & former Miss America winners (Copyright 2021 by WKMG ClickOrlando - All rights reserved.)

The U.S. Navy Blue Angels have been around since 1946, but it wasn’t until 69 years later they had their first female pilot take to the skies in one of their air shows. That first female was Maj. Katie Higgins Cook, who said flying is in her blood. Flying into uncharted territory for a woman, she still remembers her first show with the team in El Centro, California. I knew people were watching because I was the first woman to fly a Blue Angel aircraft for a show,” said Cook. “I would say, you know, the sky’s the limit, quite literally, the sky is the limit, “said Cook.

SANFORD, Fla. – Ingrid Burton Nathan was the first Black student to integrate Seminole County Schools. In 1964, she entered Sanford Junior High School, and she was among the first Black students to attend Seminole High School. Growing up during segregation, Nathan remembers being excited to make history as the first Black student to integrate Seminole County Schools. There were bright spots, too, in her trailblazing story of integration in Seminole County Schools. She says her greatest accomplishment, the thing she is most proud of, is sponsoring the gospel choir at Lake Mary High School.