June is Pride Month, a time to celebrate the LGBTQ+ community, their accomplishments, and the continued fight for equal rights for all. In honor of Pride Month, United is shining a spotlight on Newark-based flight attendant Stephanie Cruz, a proud gay Puerto Rican woman.
Cruz joined United in 2016 after graduating from college, but her story begins years prior. When she was 14 years old, Cruz realized she was gay. At the time, she came out to just a couple of her friends but decided to keep it a secret from everyone else.
It wasn’t until a couple of years later that she found the courage to come out to her family. By then, the pressure she felt had taken a toll on her mental health. After coming out, all Cruz could do was cry, but her mother reassured her that she loved her no matter what her sexual orientation was. “My mother and I are now best friends,” Cruz says. “Her love matters the most to me.”
The journey to acceptance hasn’t always been easy for Cruz. She’s experienced many challenges and setbacks because of who she is. Coming out to her religious family members wasn’t easy. Over the years, she’s learned to navigate these difficult conversations with conviction.
Since gaining her confidence, Cruz has been unstoppable. She graduated from college with a degree in chemistry but soon realized that she wasn’t as passionate about it as the rest of her classmates. When one of her friends became a flight attendant, that was the inspirational spark Cruz needed.
“Being a flight attendant made sense to who I am as a person,” she says. “I love meeting people from all walks of life, learning about different cultures, and trying new food. United came into my life when I needed it most.”
While at United, Cruz has created memories and friendships that will last forever. This past February, she was part of the all-LGBTQ+ crew on United’s first-ever international Pride Flight, in partnership with Virgin Australia, from San Francisco to Sydney for the Sydney Pride event.
“The diversity of the crew members was a big deal to me,” Cruz says. “We were all so happy and honored to be there representing ourselves and United. We all finished the trip feeling bonded for life.”
Cruz says she has felt immense support from United, her mentors, and colleagues. After working as a flight attendant for a couple of years, she realized that becoming a pilot was the next step in her career. She recently began her training at U.S. Aviation Academy, a United Aviate partner school, before being accepted into United’s Aviate Academy program. “It has been the hardest, but the most rewarding, journey,” she says.
Cruz is grateful for the support she has received from United to pursue her passion, and she’s proud to represent the Academy and its mission to diversify the flight deck. The next step for Cruz? Becoming a flight instructor once she completes her training.
One thing that has kept Cruz grounded all these years is her Puerto Rican heritage. “My heritage has given me my strength, confidence, and pride,” she says. “For Puerto Ricans, representation matters. We don’t see many Puerto Rican pilots—especially women. I’m proud to be a gay Puerto Rican woman who is on the road to becoming a United pilot.”
