The crew took a photo outside the aircraft, mirroring a photo taken in 1986 by American Airlines' first all-female flight crew.
Pauwels said she did not grow up being able to see other female pilots. Rather than discourage her, it fueled her desire to be one.
"Because I was told it wasn't possible," Pauwels said. "So I really decided I would like to prove them wrong."
Pauwels has been breaking through the cloud ceiling ever since. In 1988, she was the youngest female jet cargo airline captain in the world. In 2000 she became American Airlines' first Hispanic female captain. Pauwels also trains pilots on the Boeing 787.