In 1980, Linda Garcia Cubero became a member of the first class of women to graduate from the U.S. Air Force Academy (USAFA). She made history as well as the first woman of Hispanic descent to graduate from any of the service academies.
In a 2009 interview with Latina Style magazine, Linda discussed her own motivations for seeking admission to USAFA and what kept her going once she was there. She asserted, “I wanted to follow my father’s footsteps as an AF officer, serve my country, travel, get the best education possible, and take advantage of the unique opportunities available, like flying Cessnas, soaring in gliders, and earning my free-fall parachute wings.”
After graduating from USAFA with a B.S. degree in political science and being commissioned a second lieutenant, Cubero served as a command briefer and on various task forces at the Pentagon. In addition, she did a three-year tour of duty with the Tactical Air Command at Langley Air Force Base in Virginia.
Cubero was honorably discharged from the USAF with the rank of captain in 1987. She has since earned an M.S. in systems engineering from Virginia Tech and worked in high-level positions for companies such as General Electric (GE) Aerospace and Electronic Data Systems (EDS). She was inducted into the National Hispanic Engineering Hall of Fame in 1998. Four years later, Hispanic Business magazine named Cubero one of the “100 Most Influential Hispanics” in the United States.
While speaking at the 2004 National Latina Symposium honoring Hispanic female military academy graduates, Cubero shared her longtime motto. “You tell me I can’t, and I will show you I will,” she said. Cubero also took time to highlight other important life lessons. “I learned that the only barriers in your way are those you create yourself,” she told the audience. “I learned the value of true friendship and what it means to serve others before self.”
Photo Credit: Public Domain
For more information on Linda Garcia Cubero, please check out https://www.af.mil/News/Article-Display/Article/135996/first-hispanic-woman-grad-credits-academy-for-her-success/ and https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Linda_Garcia_Cubero
A video featuring Cubero is available at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X4nzBhGzW_o
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