Toyota Awards $1.12 Million in Scholarships to 100 Students
7 May 1999
Toyota Awards $1.12 Million in Scholarships to 100 Students; High School Seniors Top Their Class in Academics and Community ServiceLEXINGTON, Ky., May 7 -- One hundred reasons to feel good about the youth of America. In a nutshell, that's the best way to describe the 100 high school seniors who have been named 1999 Toyota Community Scholars. The Scholars program, now in its third year, recognizes the best of the best: those students who not only have accomplished outstanding academic achievements, but, also, have shown tremendous dedication to community service. The winners -- who were selected from a pool of 13,000 applicants nominated by their schools -- were awarded $1.12 million in college scholarships today by Toyota Motor Sales, USA Inc. (TMS). The scholarships are valued at $20,000 or $10,000 each, over four years, for study at a four-year college or university starting in the fall of 1999. "These students are reflections of everything that is good about this country," said Yale Gieszl, executive vice president of TMS. "They have stepped up and put themselves in a position of leadership. And, they have learned at a young age that the most important aspect of education is 'sharing your knowledge'." Following is a sampling of those leadership traits, as well as community-service involvement performed by the Class of '99: -- Started a Soup Kitchen, not only serving meals to hundreds of homeless people on a weekly basis, but, also, organizing the pick-up and delivery of donated food. -- Spent past three summer vacations in Nicaragua and Honduras, helping to build a school, churches, as well as a "feeding" station aimed at providing food for needy children. -- Created a program that linked hearing high school students with deaf children. Students acted as role models, friends, as well as helped the deaf children bridge the "mainstream" gap -- Raised guide dogs from puppies, donated to blind organization. -- Started school club as freshman that eventually was credited with overseeing the renovation of four homes for elderly, disabled. Turned vacant lot into children's playground. -- Organized food drive that grew to include 12,000 student volunteers who gathered over 16,000 pounds of food. -- Developed project that translated books from English to Spanish, then transcribed them into Braille. -- Raised nearly $20,000 for the Juvenile Diabetes Foundation; motivated by Mother's fight with the disease. -- Designed, constructed "self-guiding" nature trail. -- Speaks to young children, peers about teen health, i.e., HIV/AIDS, pregnancy prevention and abstinence. Student's quote: "Education is the only AIDS vaccine." -- Through numerous speaking engagements from Chicago to Africa, delivers inspirational message to youngsters that centers around the importance of school, hard work, self-pride, self-esteem and remaining drug-free, gang-free. At the age of 12, he was the youngest speaker at the 1995 "Million Man March," gaining national recognition for delivering his "Appeal to Father" speech. -- Blind herself since the age of 12, student is top in her class of 650 academically, given over 400 hours of community service and is an award-winning equestrian rider. Very active in program that assists in rehabilitation of young blind children. The Toyota Community Scholars program is managed by Educational Testing Services in Princeton, N.J. The 12 national winners ($20,000 each) and 88 regional winners ($10,000 each) were selected by a panel of college and university admissions officials from across the U.S. The scholarship winners were guests of honor today at an awards banquet in Lexington that was attended by education, community, business and government leaders. Former First Lady Barbara Bush was the featured speaker. While in Kentucky, the students toured Toyota Motor Manufacturing Kentucky in Georgetown, which builds the Toyota Camry and Avalon sedans and the Sienna minivan. In addition, the Scholars attended a reception and barbecue at the Kentucky Horse Park and a time management seminar. Note: A list of Toyota Community Scholars is below. 1999 TOYOTA SCHOLARS CITY HIGH SCHOOL ALABAMA Maria Huff Birmingham Alabama School of Fine Arts Laura Robinson Spanish Fort Daphne High School ALASKA Ryan Derry Homer Homer High School ARIZONA Lori Miller Chandler Chandler High School Lilach Shafir Phoenix Sunnyslope ARKANSAS Charles Alexander ** Cove Van-Cove High School CALIFORNIA Marcel Anderson Los Angeles Brentwood School Annie Chau Foster City San Mateo High School Rachelle Gould ** Camarillo Rio Mesa High School Rachel Hansen Modesto Thomas Downey High School Kimberly Noble ** Berkeley Berkeley High School Soojin Oh Winnetka Cleveland Humanities High School Stephanie Parker San Diego University City High School COLORADO Katrina Kosec ** Fort Collins Poudre High School Joshua Vandiver Swink Swink High School CONNECTICUT Joshua Funt Stamford Stamford High School DELAWARE Yuh Tseng Wilmington Brandywine High School DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA Alexandria Carroll Washington, D.C. Benjamin Bannaker Academic High FLORIDA Jennifer Csik North Miami Beach North Miami Beach Senior H.S. Dairon Garcia Miami Barbara Goleman Senior H.S. Randall Kessler Boca Raton Spanish River Community H.S. Kathleen Mullins Milton Santa Rosa Christian Academy Sarah Swords ** Parkland Marjory Stoneman Douglass H.S. Daniel Weinberg Miami Beach Miami Beach Senior High GEORGIA Rebecca Hinson Blakely Early County High Ebony Martin Atlanta Booker T. Washington HAWAII Serina Diniega Pearl City Pearl City High School IDAHO Kelley Healey Coeur d'Alene Lake City High School ILLINOIS Jose Bello Chicago William H. Taft Ayinde Jean-Baptiste ** Evanston Roycemore School Kimberly Meyer Lake Villa Carmel High School INDIANA Tia Milanese South Bend Marian High School Melanie Wood Indianapolis Park Tudor School IOWA Galen Miller Blairstown Benton Community High School KANSAS Brad Weinberg Overland Park Shawnee Mission East Michelle Winter Columbus Columbus Unified High School KENTUCKY Randall Ewing, Jr. Louisville Saint Xavier High School Jessica Moore ** Louisville Sacred Heart Academy LOUISIANA James Warrenfeltz Mandeville Fontainebleau High MAINE Hannah Curtis Belfast Belfast Area High School MARYLAND Solmaz Pirzadeh Silver Spring Springbrook Jeffrey Scherr ** Baltimore Pikesville High School MASSACHUSETTS Sarah Penniman Ashburnham Oakmont Reg. High School Erin Sullivan ** Worcester St. Peter-Marian C.C. MICHIGAN Nikia Byers Benton Harbor Benton Harbor High School MINNESOTA Melissa Draper Chanahassen Chaska High School Rebecca Jarvis Minneapolis St. Paul Academy MISSISSIPPI Mary Coleman Columbus Heritage Academy Derrick Donald Lake Lake High School MISSOURI Holli Coleman Perry Mark Twain High School Brian Elliot ** Chesterfield Parkway Central High School Michael Rozier Sainte Genevieve Valle Catholic High Shelby Wolff Maryland Heights Pattonville MONTANA Andrea Schatzka Havre Havre High School NEBRASKA Jodi Harper Grand Island Grand Island Northwest Adrienne James Lincoln Lincoln East High School NEVADA Sierra Scott Carson City Carson High School NEW JERSEY Adam Hornstine ** Moorestown Moorestown High School Christopher McLeester Haddon Heights Haddon Heights High School NEW YORK Stephanie Coon Endicott Union Endicott High School Nieraj Jain Pittsford Pittsford Sutherland High School Ravi Kavasery Coram Longwood High School Nina Langsam New Rochelle New Rochelle High School Sujean Lee Staten Island Stuyvesant High School Kerrilynn Piznak Staten Island Tottenville High School Lisa Schwartz East Hills Roslyn High School NORTH CAROLINA Kia Scott Concord Concord High School NORTH DAKOTA Amanda Riehl Dickinson Armand Hammer UWC OHIO Sakary Cheap Columbus Briggs High School Peter Mosher Cincinnati St. Xavier High School William Schrader Westlake St. Ignatius Bryn Tschannen-Moran Bexley Bexley High School OKLAHOMA Dev Ghose Tulsa Union High School Molly Stone Oklahoma City Putnam City High School OREGON Marshall Clement Eugene South Eugene High School Kelsey Hertig Warrenton Seaside High School PENNSYLVANIA Anthony Canale Indiana Indiana Area Senior High School Melissa Mazur Norristown Kennedy-Kenrick Catholic H.S. SOUTH CAROLINA Alison Epting Charleston Bishop England High School Eric Oliver Ninety Six Ninety Six High School SOUTH DAKOTA Jacqueline Pogue Sioux Falls Roosevelt High School TENNESSEE Daniel Cohen Knoxville West High School Richard Johnson Sevierville Sevier County High TEXAS Daphne Brashear Magnolia Magnolia High School Jennie Do Houston Alief Elsik High School Mary Ellen Hammond The Woodlands The Woodlands High School Ellen McCullough Dallas The Hockaday School Lara Pringle Waco Vanguard Lance Schielack Rockdale Rockdale High School Stacey Tsai Sugar Land William P. Clements High School UTAH Havila Unrein St. George Dixie High School VERMONT Alicia Meyer Shaftsbury Mt. Anthony Union High School VIRGINIA Elizabeth Brantley Franklin Franklin High School Katherine Hill Blacksburg Blacksburg High School Nancy Redd Martinsville Laurel Park High School WASHINGTON Julianna Rigg ** Colville Colville High School WEST VIRGINIA Conor Knighton Charleston George Washington High School Misha Phillips Elkins Elkins High School WISCONSIN Karolanne Hoffman Stoddard Aquinas High School WYOMING Rebecca McIntyre Buffalo Buffalo High School **National Winner - $20,000 scholarship All others receive $10,000 scholarship