TUPELO, Miss. (WTVA) -- The sound of airplanes taking off at the Tupelo airport was the very reason Alloric Riley followed his dream and became a flight attendant.

However, just two years into the job, he is now faced with his dream coming to an end.

"I was raised in the north Mississippi area, and so being raised on a small farm, I would always see planes flying overhead. I always wanted to know what was going on," said Riley.

Soon after graduation, Alloric Riley made that dream come true.

He became an American Airlines flight attendant.

However, due to the effects of the coronavirus, he was furloughed.

"We were told to have hope, we had hope for so long that a stimulus bill or some kind of relief would happen after October," said Riley.

However, after the airline failed attempt for additional federal funds, Riley, along with many of his co-workers, were sent home with no job.

"Now they are playing politics with our lives, and it's not okay for them to have their six-figure salaries, their good healthcare, and all of that and now you have people that they have different livelihoods and now it's all at stake now," said Riley.

Alloric said he now works a part-time job, not yet able to find a full-time position.

"A day to day would possibly look like doing a few interviews," said Riley.

He said right now he is learning to find his way out of the air and on the ground.

"This is going to be a journey, and it's hard," said Riley.

This is why he said now more than ever he urges people to vote, not only for presidential elections but also state and local elections.

"Right now, the aspects of what's going on with covid or the airline industry we honestly can't control that but one thing we can control is yourself," said Riley.