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Source:
Chrystal Cole-Bridges, 901-428-5738
News release prepared by: Katie Mayes, 785-826-2642, kmayes@salina.k-state.edu
Friday,
December 22, 2006
FIRST
FEMALE GRADUATES THROUGH AVIATION DEGREE PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN TUSKEGEE
UNIVERSITY AND K-STATE AT SALINA
SALINA
-- Chrystal Cole-Bridges takes what the Tuskegee Airmen say to heart.
At least she did when she was choosing a college and happened upon
a pair of them at Tuskegee University in 2002.
At
the time she was considering a career in aviation.
"They
told me, 'If this is something you really want to do, you can do
it. Don't let anything stand in your way,'" Cole-Bridges recalled.
And she did just that.
Nearly
five years later, Cole-Bridges has become the first woman to follow
in the footsteps of the famed Tuskegee Airmen, a feat she wouldn't
have been able to accomplish had it not been for a partnership between
Kansas State University at Salina and Tuskegee University.
The
partnership, which was started in 2001, encourages diversity in
the aviation industry. Students get a bachelor's degree from Tuskegee
University in aerospace engineering and earn a degree as a professional
pilot at K-State at Salina during the summer. Tuskegee, in Tuskegee,
Ala., presently has no formal flight program.
The
Tuskegee Airmen were a group of renowned black fighter pilots who
accomplished several records during World War II. Not only did the
group not lose a single bomber it was escorting in more than 200
combat missions, members also destroyed more than 260 enemy aircraft
and won more than 850 medals. The airmen's volunteer actions to
fight for democracy overseas came while they were being denied civil
rights at home.
According
to Dennis Kuhlman, dean of K-State at Salina, the partnership between
Tuskegee and K-State at Salina will not only increase the number
of African-American pilots and engineers in the aviation industry,
but it also will prepare well-qualified leaders for the industry.
"Much
like her forefathers, Chrystal is prepared to provide leadership
and make an impact in the aviation industry," Kuhlman said.
Cole-Bridges
is the second graduate of the program, as well as being the first
woman to complete it. She said she is honored to carry on the legacy
of the Tuskegee Airmen, a group she refers to as "unsung heroes."
"These
airmen have paved the road for me and a lot of African-American
aviators today," Cole-Bridges said. "It is up to my generation
to pass this legacy on … I am thankful I am in a position to
do so."
Much
like the task the Tuskegee Airmen faced in World War II, Cole-Bridges
wasn't always sure she could do it, but she endured.
"It
has definitely not been clear skies, but every single struggle was
worth it," she said.
Cole-Bridges
graduated Dec. 8 with about 50 other fall graduates from K-State
at Salina. Commencement speaker and Tuskegee Airman Col. George
Boyd presented her with a certificate recognizing her academic and
cultural accomplishments.
Cole-Bridges
is working as a design engineer at Cessna Aircraft Company in Wichita.
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