From Flight Attendant Dream to Reality

0:00This is Cory with the story, and here's what's trending across entertainment and celebrity news right now. When Angela Luna was six years old, a flight attendant named Kim Hughes made her flight to Tampa Magical by letting her help pass out snacks and pinning plastic wings on her. That moment, just before the 9-11 attacks, stuck with Luna for over two decades and inspired her dream to become a flight attendant herself. Fast forward to 2024, and Luna, now 31, and from St. Louis, landed a job offer from American Airlines. She dug up all family photos and posted in a flight attendant Facebook group to find Hughes, who turned out to still be flying for Southwest Airlines, after nearly 30 years. The two reconnected through a mutual friend, also a flight attendant, and Luna shared the story on TikTok where it exploded to over 7 million. Hughes then pinned Luna's official wings at the end of her training, closing the loop from that childhood memory. Luna switched careers from journalism, beating out over 100,000 applicants despite hiring

1:03delays. Tragedy struck during training when her mom passed away in her second week, but she pushed through with support from her class, drawing strength from, past family resilience. Now set to fly out of Boston while pursuing graduate school and journalism, Luna loves the job's flexibility to hear people's stories. She hopes to one day hand wings to a kid, and create a memory that lasts a lifetime. This story is made possible by our sponsor, see the episode description. It is a pillow that plays your podcast and music without earbuds, built for listening in bed. S-O-L-I. S-O-L-E-P-L-O-D-C-M-E-D-A-I.