First Female Graduates Through Aviation Degree Partnership Between Tuskegee University and K-State at Salina

SALINA, Kan., Dec. 22 /PRNewswire/ -- 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, Kan.

Source: Chrystal Cole-Bridges, 901-428-5738

News release prepared by: Katie Mayes, 785-826-2642, kmayes@salina.k-state.edu