Toyota Awards $1.12 Million In Scholarships

11 May 1998

    LEXINGTON, Ky., May 8 -- They raise funds for the homeless
and breast cancer research, manage homework hotlines and tutoring programs,
take action against domestic violence, build homes with Habitat for Humanity,
and collect coats for the poor.
    One is even known as "Henry Kissinger" at his high school because of his
depth of knowledge about many issues and his ability to bring compromise.
    They are 100 of America's brightest high school seniors, and they are also
among the most giving.  Toyota Motor Sales, USA, Inc. (TMS) today awarded
$1.12 million in college scholarships to these 100 scholars/volunteers.  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 1998.
    The Toyota Community Scholars program, now two years old, annually
recognizes high school seniors who excel in academics, effective leadership
and community service outside the school setting.
    "Usually we only hear about the negative things involving our country's
youth.  This program highlights what's right with the youth of America," said
Yale Gieszl, executive vice president of TMS.  "We are amazed by their concern
for others, and their willingness to do something about those concerns.  At
the same time, they are excellent students."
    Nearly 10,000 high school seniors were nominated by their schools to
compete in the program, which 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 at a "Celebration of
Excellence" today in Lexington.  They were joined by education, community and
business leaders.  Former University of Notre Dame football coach Lou Holtz
delivered an inspirational message.
    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 college preparatory seminars.
    A list of Toyota community scholars follows.

                             1998 TOYOTA SCHOLARS

                           CITY             HOME PHONE     HIGH SCHOOL
  ALABAMA
  Rickey Wheeling     Gaylesville      (205) 422-5331  Gaylesville

  ALASKA
  Garth Tan           Anchorage        (907) 346-2181  Anchorage Christian

  ARIZONA
  Benjamin Drew       Scottsdale       (602) 596-1239  North Canyon
  Celeste Lopez       Mesa             (602) 897-8388  Dobson
  ARKANSAS
  Daniel Hazman       Fort Smith       (501) 782-4589  Northside

  CALIFORNIA
  Farzad Alemi **     Mission Viejo    (714) 837-0909  Laguna Hills
  Richard Kim         Arcadia          (626) 355-0526  Polytechnic School
  Jaqueline Orozco    Los Angeles      (213) 569-7309  David Starr Jordan
  Jonathan Wu **      Palo Alto        (650) 813-0798  Pinewood

  COLORADO
  Sara McDonnall      Lamar            (719) 336-2053  Lamar
  Virginia Pfau       Holyoke          (970) 854-3572  Holyoke

  CONNECTICUT
  Ryan Fisher         Stamford         (203) 325-8154  Stamford
  Gregory Moffitt     Manchester       (860) 649-8992  Manchester

  DELAWARE
  Dawn Wright         Delmar           (302) 846-3646  Delmar

  DISTRICT OF  COLUMBIA
  Ebony Cobham        Washington, D.C. (202) 635-7565  Benjamin Banneker
                                                       Academic

  FLORIDA
  Matthew Cardinale   Fort Lauderdale  (954) 566-2032  Hallandale
  Seth Green          Coral Springs    (954) 752-1778  J.P. Taravella
  Pamela Karr         Clearwater       (813) 530-9713  Pinellas Park
  O'Tisha Preston **  Lakeland         (941) 688-2312  Harrison Arts
                                                       Center

  GEORGIA
  Ashante Dobbs       Atlanta          (404) 792-1605  Frederick Douglass

  HAWAII
  Casey Mathison      Haiku            (808) 575-2430  Maui

  IDAHO
  Kimberly Woods      Cataldo          (208) 682-4040  Kellogg

  ILLINOIS
  Jeannine Dandridge  Burnham          (708) 862-0581  Thornridge
  Camela Rao **       Burr Ridge       (630) 887-7073  Hinsdale South
  Stephanie Shintani  Arlington Heights (847) 392-1431 Rolling Meadows

  INDIANA
  Emily Disque        Auburn           (219) 925-5284  Dekalb
  Tiffany Hodge       Evansville       (812) 867-5320  North
  Julie Long          Columbus         (812) 372-1754  Columbus East
  Raquel Ramirez      Yorktown         (765) 759-6954  Yorktown
  George Tolbert      Indianapolis     (317) 259-0717  Park Tudor

  IOWA
  Christopher Hill    Thompson         (515) 584-2488  North Iowa
  Carissa Roenfeldt   Glenwood         (712) 527-9277  Glenwood Community

  KANSAS
  Amy Dix             Olathe           (913) 782-2984  Olathe North

  KENTUCKY
  Sara Elrod          Edgewood        (606) 331-9730  Scott High
  James Heath         Henderson        (502) 826-8299  Henderson County

  LOUISIANA
  Dillon Green        Kinder           (318) 738-5414  Kinder
  Carla Hines         Pioneer          (318) 428-9597  Oak Grove
  Sara Peters         Houma            (504) 876-7128  H.L. Bourgeois

  MAINE
  Natasha Frederick   Scarborough      (207) 883-3834  Scarborough

  MARYLAND
  Chloe Arnold        Silver Spring    (301) 946-2033  Wheaton
  Hyon Kwon           Baltimore        (410) 238-0050  The Catholic High
                                                       School

  MASSACHUSETTS
  Eric Calderwood **  Wellesley        (781) 237-7671  Wellesley

  MICHIGAN
  Larissa Brezden     Pleasant Ridge   (248) 544-2535  Immaculate
                                                       Conception
  Jessica Burstrem    Grand Blanc      (810) 694-0243  Grand Blanc
                                                       Community
  Tammy Chang         Flint            (810) 733-6234  Swartz Creek

  MINNESOTA
  Paven Malhotra      Bloomington      (612) 884-4083  Thomas Jefferson
  Kathleen Ziegenfuss Minneapolis      (612) 377-5193  Southwest

  MISSISSIPPI
  Frazier Fyke        Jackson          (601) 353-3511  Jackson Preparatory
  Amanda Ragsdale     Philadelphia     (601) 650-9385  Choctaw Central

  MISSOURI
  Bradley Cordes      Raytown          (816) 358-9247  Raytown South
  Natalie Tanner **   Ellsinore        (573) 322-5237  East Carter

  NEBRASKA
  Andrew Swedlund     Murray           (402) 235-2259  Conestoga

  NEVADA
  Sarah Strong        Las Vegas        (702) 220-4329  E.W. Clark

  NEW HAMPSHIRE
  Amber March         Center Harbor    (603) 253-7722  Moultonborough
                                                       Academy

  NEW JERSEY
  Eugene Boyle        Bernardsville    (908) 953-0032  Bernards
  Lisa Jaffe          River Edge       (201) 599-9197  River Dell Regional
  Amy Simmerman       Pedricktown      (609) 351-1625  Salem
  Charles Simone      Lawrenceville    (609) 883-4147  Lawrence

  NEW YORK
  Alice Cao **        Elmhurst         (718) 478-8796  Brooklyn Technical
  Karrie Denniston    Conklin          (607) 775-0261  Johnson City
  Michael Faye        Wantagh          (516) 679-2840  Wantagh
  Timothy Moriarty    Ft. Salonga      (516) 261-2911  King Park
  Rupa Parekh         East Amherst     (716) 689-9657  Williamsville North

  NORTH CAROLINA
  Rajesh Panjabi      High Point       (336) 883-6391  Southwest Guilford
  Anne Peirce         Charlotte        (704) 846-8148  Providence

  NORTH DAKOTA
  Randal Rausch       Bismarck         (701) 255-3876  St. Mary's Central

  OHIO
  Matthew Finlay      Bay Village      (440) 892-3859  Bay
  Maya Payne          Akron            (330) 867-3538  Harvey S. Firestone
  Jared Sullivan      Grove City       (614) 875-2382  Grove City

  OKLAHOMA
  Laura Bishop        Broken Arrow     (918) 357-3394  Broken Arrow
  Chrissy Coon **     Tahlequah        (918) 457-4755  Sequoyah
  Jodi Warmbrod       Edmond           (405) 330-5634  Santa Fe

  OREGON
  Elizabeth Miller    Toledo           (541) 336-2449  Toledo

  PENNSYLVANIA
  Melani Cheers       New Bethlehem    (814) 275-2857  Redbank Valley
  Emily Del Greco     Baden            (724) 869-4977  Ambridge Area
  Kelly Doran **      Upper St. Clair  (724) 941-1403  Upper St. Clair

  PUERTO RICO
  Angela Santana      San German       (787) 264-2973  Colegio San Jose

  SOUTH CAROLINA
  Mark Goddard        Clover           (803) 831-7052  Clover
  Jason Tompkins      Williamston      (864) 947-9009  Wren

  SOUTH DAKOTA
  Rina Crawford       Sioux Falls      (605) 332-0945  Lincoln

  TENNESSEE
  Jennifer Jenkins    Hixson           (423) 842-4565  Soddy Daisy
  John Lucas          Waverly          (931) 296-1754  Waverly Central
  Eldee Stephens  **  0oltewah         (423) 899-3492  0oltewah
  Kimberly Thomas     Germantown       (901) 755-3332  Houston

  TEXAS
  Laura Beek          Lamesa           (806) 872-5245  Lamesa
  Marcus Brown        Dallas           (214) 391-6216  Skyline
  Kimberly Hill       Austin           (512) 448-3672  Johnston
  Stephen Smith       Plano            (972) 612-2508  Plano Senior
  Tyron Stading       El Paso          (915) 581-0551  Franklin

  UTAH
  Eric Brinton        Salt Lake City   (801) 583-2020  East

  VERMONT
  James Grace         Waterbury        (802) 244-6419  Harwood Union

  VIRGINIA
  Sarah Hobeika       Blacksburg       (540) 951-8225  Blacksburg

  WASHINGTON
  Peter Henderson     Kirkland         (425) 828-0912  Lake Washington
  Karisa Pierce **    Monroe           (360) 794-9494  Monroe
  Dev Sengupta **     Renton           (425) 226-0663  Kentridge

  WEST VIRGINIA
  Christopher Osborne Rock View        (304) 732-9410  Pineville
  Brian Zamora        Charleston       (304) 776-8038  Nitro

  WISCONSIN
  Jonathan Hsu        Wausau           (715) 845-7477  Wausau West
  Lisa Jacobson       Fox Point        (414) 352-8045  Nicolet

  WYOMING
  Nicole Nicholson    Basin            (307) 568-2248  Riverside
    ** National Winner - $20,000 scholarship

    All others receive $10,000 scholarship.

SOURCE  Toyota Motor Sales, USA, Inc.