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Baton Rouge student pilot knocks down barriers
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BATON ROUGE— A Baton Rouge student pilot has gotten some attention on social media for being different.
Joshmond Cook doesn't look like your typical pilot. He wears a flashy diamond grill and his hair in locs, redefining what a pilot looks like.
One of Cook's videos received more than 30,000 likes on social media. Cook said no matter whether positive or negative, the comments fuel his motivation.
“I just know that I got a lot of eyes on me, and I’m trying to make everything count and be positive while I’m doing it. But at the end of the day, I’m only human,” Cook said.
Cook enrolled in flight school two years ago, but he said the journey began long before the cockpit.
“I grew up in state custody, a foster kid," Cook said. "I know they got a lot of kids in the system that’re facing the same thing that I went through.”
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, less than 5% of pilots are Black. Cook said he’s looking to help increase that number.
“I have a job to do and I’m willing to take care of it and do what I have to do to go to the next level,” he said.
Cook said he hopes he inspires others to fly above the clouds and be true to themselves.
“Be different. Go for it. If you have a dream, just follow it," Cook said.
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