MONTVALE, N.J., May 31 /PRNewswire/ -- Mercedes-Benz USA (MBUSA) today announced the names of 62 college-bound teenagers who will join the ranks of nearly 1,000 other students nationwide as recipients of Mercedes-Benz 's DRIVE YOUR FUTURE scholarships. The scholarships are awarded to students who are the first in their families to attend college and who demonstrate outstanding academic performance and a commitment to helping others. The DRIVE YOUR FUTURE Scholarship Program was developed by Mercedes-Benz USA in 2004 to help alleviate some of the financial pressures of first-generation college-bound students -- many of whom would be unable to pursue a post-secondary education due to the enormous financial burden.
In the competitive application process, nearly 5,000 students nationwide applied for scholarships, 62 of whom were selected based on academic performance, leadership, involvement in school and community activities and financial need. Each of the college-bound graduating high school seniors will receive a $10,000 scholarship ($2,500 per year over 4 years) to help offset rising college tuition costs.
This year Mercedes-Benz USA, with support from its dealers nationwide, will provide $620,000 in scholarship funding, raising the total amount granted since the program's launch in 2004 to $3.5 million to nearly 1,000 ambitious college-bound students. All of the DRIVE YOUR FUTURE award recipients are the first generation in their families to pursue a college education and many have overcome personal hardships due to underprivileged backgrounds.
"Ours is a brand that is founded on a commitment to nothing less than excellence and it has come to represent a dream fulfilled," said Ernst Lieb, president and CEO of Mercedes-Benz USA. "We want to encourage these students -- who are certainly among the best and the brightest of their generation -- to accept nothing less than the best, however they define that. We hope these scholarships can help remove some of the impediments so these young men and women can focus on accomplishing their dreams."
"According to the National Center for Education Statistics, the average student loan debt for a bachelor's degree student is $19,300," said Barb Weber, assistant vice president of Scholarship America, the non-profit organization that administers the Mercedes-Benz DRIVE YOUR FUTURE program. "The importance of scholarship programs, such as the Mercedes-Benz DRIVE YOUR FUTURE program, is imperative in helping all students move forward with college enrollment and the completion of a college degree."
One of important components of the program is based on the principle of "paying it forward," or helping someone else in need. Each year, DRIVE YOUR FUTURE scholarship recipients are asked to serve as ambassadors of Mercedes- Benz USA philanthropy by giving back to their communities through activities such as mentoring/tutoring younger students, working with Boys and Girls Clubs or Big Brothers Big Sisters, among other activities. Nearly 1,000 students have benefited, or will benefit, from DRIVE YOUR FUTURE and will, in turn, give back in some way to help someone else achieve his/her dreams, reaching countless people in need.
The DRIVE YOUR FUTURE program was developed by Mercedes-Benz USA in collaboration with Scholarship America to respond to a critical need in the United States for scholarships to help students offset the costs of postsecondary education. DRIVE YOUR FUTURE is part of MBUSA's broader philanthropic initiative aimed at educating and empowering future generations by helping young people reach their full potential and become the leaders of their generation.
Committed to the communities in which employees live and work, MBUSA has also built alliances with a number of youth organizations across the country. The company supports many of these efforts through employee volunteer activities, mentoring and community outreach efforts. Philanthropic initiatives are reviewed and implemented through MBUSA corporate headquarters in Montvale, N.J., and through its regional offices around the country. For more information, interested students may visit http://www.mbusa.com/drivefuture.
Mercedes-Benz USA
Mercedes-Benz USA, headquartered in Montvale, New Jersey, is responsible for the sales, marketing and service of all Mercedes-Benz and Maybach products in the United States. In 2006, MBUSA achieved an all-time sales record of 248,080 new vehicles, setting the highest sales volume ever in its history and achieving 13 consecutive years of sales growth. More information on MBUSA and its products can be found on the Internet at http://www.mbusa.com and http://www.maybachusa.com.
Scholarship America
Scholarship America is a national nonprofit organization whose mission is to mobilize America, through scholarships and educational support, to make postsecondary education possible for all students. More information is available at http://www.scholarshipamerica.org.
2007 DRIVE YOUR FUTURE SCHOLARSHIP RECIPIENTS
State First Name Last Name Home Town High School College
AK Jennifer Henry Anchorage A.J. Dimond University of
High School Findlay
AL Paige Perry Adamsville Jefferson University of
Cnty Intl South Alabama
Baccalaureate
AR Jewell Via Ozark Ozark High University of
School Arkansas at
Fort Smith
AZ Martha Mosqueda San Luis San Luis High University of
School Arizona
CA Steven Chua Winnetka Chatsworth University of
High School California:
Berkeley
CA Chrissie Ng San Leandro San Leandro University of
High School California: San
Diego
CO Katherine Millican Cortez Montezuma- Colorado State
Cortez High University
School
CT Neena Kamath Norwalk Brien McMahan Harvard College
High School
DC Gilbert Castillo Washington Benjamin Florida
Banneker AHS Institute of
Technology
DE Justin Robles Dover Saint Thomas St. John's
More Academy University
FL Joanna Rodriguez Pembroke McArthur High University of
Pines School Florida
FL Markevius Collier Jacksonville Samuel W. University of
Wolfson High North Florida
School
FL MarcAtkinson Jacksonville Robert E. Lee Florida
High School Agricultural
and Mechanical
University
GA Wilbert Powell Mount Vernon Montgomery Georgia
County High Southern
School University
HI Jester Galiza Ewa Beach James Campbell Dartmouth
High School College
IA Belinda Wagy Cedar Rapids Thomas Iowa Wesleyan
Jefferson High College
ID Tierney Busse McCall Meadows Valley Northwest
High School Nazarene
University
IL Yu Chen Moline Moline Senior University of
High School Illinois at
Urbana-
Champaign
IN Jourdan Day Evansville F.J. Reitz Ohio State
High School University:
Columbus Campus
KS Chelsie Gaskell Horton Horton High American
School Academy of Hair
Design and Day
Spa
KY Michelle Glass Covington Holmes High Eastern
School Kentucky
University
LA Sarah Vining Berwick Berwick High University of
School Louisiana at
Lafayette
MA Meekerley Sanon Lawrence Lawrence High Massachusetts
School College ofPharmacy and
Health Sciences
MD Karmena Diggs Glenarden Charles Herbert Spelman College
Flowers High
School
ME Kassie Lovely Easton Easton Jr/Sr Husson College
High School
MI Thao Dinh Holland Holland High Michigan State
School University
MN Denise Tietz Walnut Grove Westbrook Minnesota State
Walnut Grove University:
High School Mankato
MO Jordan Taillon Lampe Blue Eye High University of
School Missouri: Rolla
MS Anastasia Allmon Hattiesburg MS School for Millsaps
Mathematics & College
Science
MT Danni Thom Stanford Stanford High University of
School Montana:
Missoula
NC Saul Flores Charlotte Harding North Carolina
University State
High School University
ND Stephanie Gramlow Fullerton Oakes High University of
School North Dakota
NE Colby McMann Shubert Southeast Wayne State
Nebraska College
Consolidated HS
NH Shannon Tsaltas Seabrook Winnacunnet Harvard College
High School
NJ Anni Wong Morganville Marlboro High Cornell
School
NJ Pebbles Kelly Newark Academy of Essex County
Vocational College
CareersNM Anna Garliss Santa Rosa Santa Rosa New Mexico
High School State
University
NV Joanna Kang Las Vegas Durango High University of
School California:
Irvine
NY Felicia Baldwin Parish Mexico Academy University of
and Central San Diego
Schools
NY Katrina Green Brooklyn Automotive University of
High School New York
State College of
Technology at
Delhi
NY May Wong New York NYC Lab School University:
Columbia Columbia
College
NY Susheian Brown Bronx Bronx Academy City University
of Health of New York
Careers
NY Ilana Vakhovskaya Brooklyn Edward R. Syracuse
Murrow High University
School
NY Lauren Peart Bronx The Young Spelman College
Women's
Leadership
School
OH Lauren Brown Barberton Barberton High State
School Ohio University:
Columbus Campus
OH Ai Binh Ho Columbus Columbus School Kenyon College
for Girls
OK Tram Phan Oklahoma Westmoore High University of
City School Oklahoma
OR Joshua Savey Reedsport Reedsport High University of
School Oregon
PA William Rech Horsham Hatboro-Horsham Penn State
High School University Park
PR Johary Rivera Orocovis Jose Rojas Recinto
Cortes HS Universitano de
Rio Piedras
RI Caitlin Gillooly Johnston St. Mary Northeastern
Academy Bay University
View
SC Hieu Tran Greenville Southside High Massachusetts
School Institute of
Technology
SD Carmen Hirsch Highmore Highmore High Hope College
School
TN Yoseph Beki Antioch Brentwood Vanderbilt
Academy University
TX Jose Pesina Brownsville Gladys Porter Harvard CollegeHigh School
UT Holly Damron Clawson Christian Westmont
Liberty Home College
School/EHS
VA Wayne Ngai Chester Maggie L. University of
Walker Pennsylvania
Governor's
School
VT Tyler Gillingham North Woodstock Union St. Michael's
Pomfret High School College
WA Jessica Baskaran Sequim Sequim High University of
School Washington
WI Jacob Kapellen Sheboygan Sheboygan University of
North High Wisconsin-
Madison
WV Danielle Fink Keyser Keyser High West Virginia
School University
WY Ashley Carter Upton Upton High Northwest
School College
Mercedes-Benz USA