At age 15, Milton Troy III got a taste of his future. It happened under the hood of his first car, a gift from his dad — a $100 Mercury Bobcat, white with a baby-blue interior.

“It was the ugliest car I ever saw,” Troy remembers. “It had a hole in the floor, and the door never closed right. It wouldn’t go 20 miles without overheating, so I always had to carry water and anti-freeze. Once on a date, I had to stop a couple of times driving to the movie theater.”

Troy’s father wisely understood that a needy Bobcat would give his son some basic training in planning and preparation.

The lesson served Troy well.

Today, he’s in charge of all support-related training for the U.S. Navy.

Retired Navy Adm. Michelle Howard, who received recognition for her service and accomplishments during a recent BEYA Stars and Stripes Dinner in Washington, D.C., has been appointed to President-elect Joe Biden’s transition team to the Department of Defense.

In the photo above, Howard is seen speaking at the Historically Black College and University (HBCU) Engineering Dean Breakfast, which takes place during the BEYA STEM Conference weekend.