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Toyota Awards $1.12 Million in Scholarships to 100 High School Seniors


May 2006
 Filed under: TOYOTA CORPORATE Car News | TOYOTA CORPORATE Headlines

Winners at top of class in both academics and community service

LOUISVILLE, Ky., May 12 /PRNewswire/ -- Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A., Inc., (TMS) rewarded 100 high school seniors with $1.12 million in college scholarships for their commitment to education and community service at an awards banquet tonight. The winners, who make up the 10th class of Toyota Community Scholars, were chosen from a pool of nearly 9,000 students nationwide nominated by their schools. To be eligible, students must be proven leaders both in the classroom and in their communities.
Based on its accomplishments, the 2006 class learned at an early age that "giving back" to the community was not an obligation, but, rather, a way of life. As one Scholar, Tyler Sanchez of Racine, Wis., put it: "My life has been enriched through my community service, and I see myself one day as a responsible business executive playing a major role in my community."

For the 2006 class, their dreams of making a difference became reality through programs ranging from raising money to help pay for 300 families' winter heating bills to recycling over 80,000 tons of household goods (furniture, appliances, clothing, toys, books) and distributing them to thousands of needy individuals to creating a diversity program that is now implemented in five high schools.

"This tenth class of Toyota Scholars, like every group before them, has accomplished so much at such a young age," said Irv Miller, TMS group vice president of corporate communications. "Their dedication to academics and community service is an inspiration to all of us. It is exciting to imagine where their lives will take them as the future leaders of America."

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 2006. Since the Toyota Community Scholars program began in 1997, TMS has awarded over $11 million in scholarships to 1,000 students across the U.S.

Emily Evans, a Toyota Community Scholar from Hudson, Ohio, is a prime example of the dedication to community service exhibited by this year's class. As the founder of "Children's Aid," Evans has raised over $17,000 for the Suzhou Children's Welfare Center in China. But this project is much more than just fund-raising for the orphanage. Evans has traveled twice to China to work with the children, many of whom have physical or mental disabilities and were abandoned by their parents.

Because of her dedication, numerous children have received medical procedures, including cleft lip and palate repairs, surgery to correct spina bifida, heart surgery, and skin grafts for burn victims.

In all, over 100 children living in the orphanage have been helped by Evans and "Children's Aid," which boasts over 200 supporters.

Consequently, Evans, like many of the Scholars, found community service to be the roadmap to what she wants to do in the future. "By pursuing East Asian Studies and law, I hope to be able to work with families to take the anxiety, uncertainty, and cost out of international adoption. This could be through pro-bono work, as an adoption lawyer, or by using my contacts with orphanages to match children with families."

The Toyota Community Scholars program is administered 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 tonight at an awards banquet in Louisville that was attended by education, community, business and government leaders. Bernard Kinsey, an internationally recognized expert and leader in the field of urban revitalization and economic development, was the keynote speaker.

The two-and-a-half-day program included a tour of Toyota Motor Manufacturing, Kentucky, Inc., in Georgetown, which builds the Camry, Avalon and Solara vehicles. In addition, the Scholars cruised the Ohio River on the Belle of Louisville (a historic paddle wheeler), and participated in a "ride and drive" that put them behind the wheel of five Toyota vehicles: the new FJ Cruiser and Yaris, plus the family of Scion vehicles: xA, xB, and tC.

Toyota Motor Sales (TMS), U.S.A., Inc. is the marketing, sales, distribution and customer service arm of Toyota, Lexus and Scion in the United States, marketing products and services through a network of 1,427 Toyota, Lexus and Scion dealers in 49 states. Established in 1957, TMS and its subsidiaries also are involved in distribution logistics, motorsports, and research and development.



2006 TOYOTA COMMUNITY SCHOLARS CITY HIGH SCHOOL ALABAMA Sarah Epps Huntsville Huntsville High School ALASKA Tatiana Butler Kenai Nikiski Junior Senior High School ARIZONA Kimberly Lin Phoenix Desert Vista High School Robert Ryan * Mesa Mountain View High School ARKANSAS Daniel Cayce * Thornton Bearden High School Frederick McCollum Forrest City Forrest City High School CALIFORNIA David Freed Vista Vista High School Laura Huppert * Piedmont Piedmont High School Kaitlin Kelly-Reif Carmichael Mira Loma High School Shirley Palomino * Thousand Oaks Thousand Oaks High School Katherine Robinson Santa Rosa Ursuline High School Nicole St. Omer Roy Seal Beach Rosary High School COLORADO Karen McKinnon Boulder Boulder High School DELAWARE Anjali Gupta Hockessin Charter School of Wilmington FLORIDA Justin Chang Miami Lakes North Miami Senior High School Maria Chicuen Miami Felix Varela Senior High School Scott Drucker Hollywood Pine Crest School Xavier Gonzalez Miami Miami Coral Park Senior High School Courtni Kerr Tavernier Coral Shores High School Shannon Marrero * Gainesville Eastside High School Jhanavi Pathak St. Petersburg St. Petersburg High School GEORGIA Ashley Buford Cordele Crisp Academy HAWAII Evan Alicuben Hilo Waiakea High School Xiaomeng Hu Honolulu Moanalua High School Mary Rose Lansangan Aiea Aiea High School IDAHO Abigail Fairman Hailey Wood River High School ILLINOIS Mi Chen Naperville Illinois Math & Science Academy Michael Jacobson Prospect Heights John Hersey High School Margaret McGlynn Belleville Althoff Catholic High School Jeffery Nelson Chicago Morgan Park High School INDIANA Kate Goeller Terre Haute Terre Haute South Vigo High School IOWA Xin Pan Ames Ames High School Anne Wignall Newton Newton High School KANSAS Angel Romero Milford Junction City Senior High School KENTUCKY Kala Faulkner Ashland Rose Hill Christian School Neil Gupta Prospect Saint Xavier High School LOUISIANA Karlnelius Duhon Westlake Lake Charles Boston High School Aoko Jordan Monroe Wossman High School Hannah Moore Athens Glenbrook School MAINE Melissa Carter Princeton Woodland High School MARYLAND Rebecca Parks * Reisterstown Franklin High School MASSACHUSETTS Nicole LeBlanc Westford Westford Academy Tara Sullivan * Worcester Worcester Academy Kejia Tang Williamstown Mount Greylock Regional High School MICHIGAN Efrain Merchan Battle Creek Lakeview High School Samir Shah Canton Plymouth High School Chelsey Spriggs Detroit Renaissance High School John Zhou Northville Detroit Country Day School MINNESOTA Irina Vaynerman Eagan Eastview High School MISSISSIPPI Caleb Page Newton Newton County Academy Kevin Reeves Yazoo City Yazoo City High School MISSOURI Julia Rubin Saint Louis Parkway Central High School Logan Skelley Joplin Joplin High School Sky Vanderburg Moberly Moberly Senior High School NEBRASKA Jami Harper Grand Island Home School Clearing House NEVADA Christopher Lin-Brande Reno Reno High School NEW JERSEY Michael Bifano Marlton Cherokee High School Chanelle Wilson Marlton Charter Tech High School NEW MEXICO Ashley Crooks Albuquerque Albuquerque Academy NEW YORK Matthew Bauman Melville Half Hollow Hills High School East Donnell Cunningham New York John V. Lindsay Wildcat Academy Shoshana Iliaich Rego Park Baccalaureate School for Global Education Sarah Joselow Ossining Ossining High School Kathleen Quandt Schoharie Schoharie Central School Ruben Rafaelov Briarwood Thomas Edison Voc-Tech High School Amy Richards Northport Kings Park High School Danielle Shaffer Roslyn Roslyn High School NORTH CAROLINA Bita Emrani Greensboro Early College at Guilford Sudha Meghan Chapel Hill East Chapel Hill High School Qi Xi Wilmington John T. Hoggard High School NORTH DAKOTA Miranda Uriell Lakota Lakota High School OHIO Emily Evans * Hudson Western Reserve Academy Ronald Tisdale Perrysburg Perrysburg High School Albert Trinh * Maineville Saint Xavier High School OKLAHOMA Charles Graft Clinton Clinton High School Tiffany Grant Sperry Sperry High School Carrie Highfill Enid Chisholm High School Ronald Pittman Okeene Okeene High School OREGON Irene Libov * Beaverton Southridge High School PENNSYLVANIA Anthony Orlando Sugarloaf Mining and Mechanical Institute Robert Sigman Huntingdon Valley Lower Moreland High School Helena Tzou New Stanton Hempfield Area Senior High School SOUTH CAROLINA Christine Richard Georgetown Georgetown High School SOUTH DAKOTA Chelsea Hageman Hoven Hoven High School TENNESSEE Lucas Hunt Lawrenceburg Loretto High School TEXAS William Key Morton Whiteface High School Enhao Li Plano Plano West Senior High School Leonard Parker * Houston G.W. Carver High School UTAH Stephanie Baker West Jordan Hillcrest High School VIRGINIA Diana Burk Alexandria West Potomac High School Tristan Hayes Portsmouth I C Norcom High School Jennifer MacLure Woodbridge Stonewall Jackson High School Paul Martin Martinsville Magna Vista High School WASHINGTON Brett Dahlberg Bremerton Central Kitsap High School Alicia Pumpian Issaquah Issaquah High School WISCONSIN Hayley Born La Crosse Aquinas High School Lauren Levac Hartland Arrowhead High School Katrina Richardson Shiocton Shiocton High School Tyler Sanchez * Racine The Prairie School WYOMING Brittany Worton Riverton Riverton High School * National winner - $20,000 scholarship All others receive $10,000 scholarship 2006 TOYOTA COMMUNITY SCHOLARS Community Service Snapshots Following is a small sampling of community service projects performed by the 2006 class of Toyota Community Scholars (more detail can be provided upon request; student interviews can also be arranged): - Combined a passion for music and a desire to do something positive in the community and produced a CD with seven of his own original piano compositions in a professional recording studio. He garnered the support of a local healthcare company to cover all the costs of production, and then sold the CDs to raise $7,000 for the United Way and the American Kidney Fund. (Tyler Sanchez, Racine, Wis.) - Uses her bilingual skills as a volunteer each week at a free medical clinic for the uninsured, managing other student volunteers, taking patient vital signs, performing medical interviews, and presenting patients to doctors in the examination rooms. The child of Peruvian immigrants, she was once a patient of free clinics. (Shirley Palomino, Thousand Oaks, Calif.) - As a sixth grader, teamed with her high school-aged sister and founded PALS to help integrate their previously segregated schools. This is accomplished through activities such as "Mix it up Day," where students eat lunch with peers they may not have spoken to before and counselors go to each table to have discussions about diversity. PALS initially started at two schools, but has since grown to include five schools and reach approximately 5,000 students. Each year, golf tournaments are held and raise more than $70,000 to support the PALS program. (Shannon Marrero, Gainesville, Fla.) - Became the first youth to receive the Arkansas Recycler of the Year award in 2005 from the Arkansas Recycling Coalition for founding Recycle to Reuse, a program that collects unwanted furniture, appliances, clothing, toys, books and household items for reuse by those in need. These items are collected and distributed to the needy at giveaway events every three months. The program has recycled more than 80,000 tons of unwanted items. (Daniel Cayce, Thornton, Ark.) - Started Becky's Aid Projects to provide "birthday boxes" (wrapped shoeboxes filled with toys and a stuffed animal or doll) for children of needy families and those in local crisis centers. Hundreds of "birthday boxes" later, she started "Boxes for Marines," which collected care items such as food and toiletries for a Marine unit deployed to Iraq. When Hurricane Katrina struck the Gulf Coast, she collected 120 backpacks filled with clothing and school supplies for hurricane victims in Mississippi. (Rebecca Parks, Reisterstown, Md.) - Seeing a need at the La Casa de Esperanza orphanage in Rocky Point, Mexico, this Scholar took matters into his own hands and started Fill a Bag with Hope. He enlisted the help of 145 volunteers, Wal-Mart Corp., Bashas' Supermarkets and the Phoenix Suns to collect food and supplies for the children at the orphanage. A total of 76 "Bags of Hope," 525 institutional-sized cans of food, 46 bags of rice, sugar, flour and beans, two rooms of furniture and window curtains were collected and delivered across the border to the La Casa de Esperanza. (Robert Ryan, Mesa, Ariz.)



Source: Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A., Inc.

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