“When I fly everything inside aligns, every emotion, every thought and every feeling, it’s like electricity throughout my body,” said Raul Carta Lama, an aviation student at Miami Dade College.
Raul is one of seven students receiving this year’s Saul and Lois Eig Watson Scholarships, awarded annually by Miami Dade College Foundation and the Eig-Watson School of Aviation at MDC to support the dreams of aspiring airline and commercial pilots.
Along with Raul, the 2020 scholarship recipients are: Jorge L. Calana, Jose M. Garcia, Kemar M. Jackson, Andrew Laluz, Lily M. McCarthy and Shane Pineda. (View their shared images on Instagram.) They join a group of more than 230 aspiring airline and commercial pilots who have received the Saul and Lois Eig Watson Scholarship – one of the largest awards of its kind in the country – since its inception in 1988.
The Foundation recognized the scholarship recipients at a virtual celebration where students had the opportunity to thank donors Lois and Harvey Watson and hear from MDC Interim President Dr. Rolando Montoya. (View the captured moments on Instagram.)
“Aviation has always inspired me and it is a field where I imagine myself as a first officer of an airline,” said Raul, who earned his FAA Private Pilot certificate and plans to start flight training. “I am committed, passionate and dedicated to aviation. Earning this scholarship will help me cover my flight expenses since I currently do not have the means to finance the required flying time. This scholarship has made my dream into a goal attained and a promised fulfilled.”
The Saul and Lois Eig Watson Scholarship, awarded annually to outstanding MDC aviation students to support flight training costs, was named in memory of Lois Eig Watson’s late husband, Saul Eig. Lois, once a flight student herself, is a former faculty member at MDC’s Kendall Campus.
“Our aviation students represent the best of the best. They will move forward in their careers and help the airline industry to recover from these challenging times,” Dr. Montoya said. “They will continue everyday acts of courage, humanity and kindness working on the frontlines of aviation, bridging communities across the globe.”
The prestigious MDC’s Eig-Watson School of Aviation, also named in the Lois and Saul’s honor, has provided high-quality aviation training for more than 50 years, offering associate degrees and certificate programs designed to provide students with the theoretical knowledge and real-world skills needed to succeed in today’s aviation industry. The Eig-Watson School of Aviation is located at MDC’s Homestead Campus with additional locations at the Miami International Airport and Miami Executive Airport (TMB).
For more information about how scholarships impact our students, visit www.mdcfoundation.com