Tuskegee Airmen Awards Colorado Student the Pratt & Whitney Golden Eagle Scholarship

EAST HARTFORD, Conn., July 25 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Pratt & Whitney, a United Technologies Corp. (NYSE: UTX) company, in partnership with the Tuskegee Airmen Inc., awarded the 2008 Golden Eagle Scholarship to Mahad Fahieh of Aurora, Colorado. The four-year, $20,000 award, funded by Pratt & Whitney, recognizes a high school senior who has demonstrated aptitude for aerospace technology and aviation.

The Golden Eagle Scholarship is the largest single endowment awarded by the Tuskegee Airmen Scholarship Fund. Under the terms of the scholarship, Mahad will receive $5,000 each year for four years. He was presented with his award during the Youth Luncheon at the Tuskegee Airmen Convention on July 19 in Philadelphia. Orville Bailey, director of quality assurance for Pratt & Whitney's Middletown Engine Center in Connecticut, presented the scholarship on behalf of Pratt & Whitney. Bailey will also serve as Mahad's mentor during his college career.

"Mahad Fahieh has demonstrated superior academic achievement and meaningful community involvement; he is determined to focus on career goals that will set him apart from the others," said Jerry Hodges, chairman of the Tuskegee Airmen Scholarship Fund. "Mahad is an individual who will succeed in any endeavor that he attempts. The Tuskegee Airmen and Pratt & Whitney are fortunate to be partners in the future development of this talented scholar."

Mahad is a graduate of Smoky Hill High School in Aurora, Colorado, where he was on the honor roll all four years. He was one of six individuals chosen as a Rosen Scholar, an award which comes with the opportunity to intern at the Denver Museum. Mahad's many achievements include receiving the 2007 Jack and Jill Beau Award given to the highest achieving African Americans in Colorado as well as the 2007 All School Award presented to him for outstanding academic achievement. Mahad plans to study Aerospace Engineering at the University of Colorado, Boulder, while participating in the Air Force ROTC program to gain flight experience. He is pursuing his private pilot's license through the Mile High Flight Program in his home state.

"My parents taught me the value of education and not to take it for granted. They encouraged me to put 150 percent of my effort into whatever I choose to do," said Mahad Fahieh. "I try to give back to my community through volunteerism and mentoring, helping others just as many have done for me."

The Tuskegee Airmen of World War II enlisted in the military to become America's first black military airmen. They came from every section of the country including New York City, Washington D.C., Los Angeles, Chicago, Philadelphia and Detroit. Each possessed a strong personal desire to serve and defend the United States of America.

Pratt & Whitney donates more than $4.5 million to nonprofit and educational institutions each year. Its philanthropic giving promotes environmental initiatives that protect our natural resources, encourages the development of the next generation of engineers and researchers through math and science education, and supports programs that enhance the cultural life of our communities through the arts.

Pratt & Whitney is a world leader in the design, manufacture and service of aircraft engines, space propulsion systems and industrial gas turbines. United Technologies, based in Hartford, Conn., is a diversified company providing high technology products and services to the global aerospace and building industries.

    Contact:
    Jennifer Whitlow
    860.565.9600
    jennifer.whitlow@pw.utc.com

SOURCE Pratt & Whitney