HOUSTON – In honor of Women's History Month, the FBI brought the highest ranking officer in the Navy to speak about pioneering your own journey.
When you talk about trailblazers in American history, only Michelle Howard can say she is the first ever female four-star admiral in the Navy.
"I think technically I can call myself a trailblazer, because I actually went and got an award that said that," Howard said as she laughed.
Speaking to a room full of FBI agents and personnel, she said the Navy and FBI are alike -- both are made up of 19 percent women.
"There is plenty of pioneering opportunity for everybody in this organization," she said.
One woman she inspired was the woman who brought Howard to Houston, Trina Martin, who is a Naval lieutenant commander and an FBI intelligence analyst.
"(Howard) was once where I was, where I am today, as a lieutenant commander and look at her now, she's a four-star admiral," Martin said. "That speaks volumes and lets me know that I can do that as well."
Howard can also add hero to her list of accomplishments
Remember the movie about Capt. Phillips? In real life in 2009, Howard took command of the counter-piracy task force and three days later he was captured.
"(It was) a great day at sea that we were able to rescue an American citizen," Howard said.
The military only started allowing women rising to the ranks of general and admiral in 1967, another road block she bulldozed right through.
"I've often found challenges are an institution. It's one knucklehead at a time that you gotta work your way around," Howard.
The Navy and FBI agree -- while women have accomplished a lot, there's still more work to be done.