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Nissan Honors Scholarship Winners at State Capitol

14 May 1999

Nissan Honors Scholarship Winners at State Capitol With Governor Bush; Charter School Students Recognized for Excellence in Community Service

    AUSTIN, Texas, May 14 -- Today, Nissan North America, Inc.
announced that fourteen 1999 Texas charter school high school graduates each
received $2,500 in college scholarships.  The recipients of the Nissan
Neighbors Good Citizen Scholarship and their parents were honored in Austin
today by meeting Governor George W. and having a resolution read on the Texas
House floor congratulating each student by name.
    The Nissan Neighbors Good Citizen Scholarship was created to reward above-
average students who have demonstrated significant commitment to their
communities and schools.
    "This program embodies Nissan's philosophy of investing in communities,
especially the ones in which it operates," said Jason Vines, vice president,
corporate communications, Nissan North America, Inc.  "Nissan's commitment to
Texas is about more than creating jobs and investing capital; it's about
investing in people.  I can't think of a better way to demonstrate this
commitment than rewarding these exceptional students."
    The scholarship winners come from diverse socio-economic backgrounds, and
will be attending schools ranging from community colleges to ivy-league
universities, demonstrating that many types of students can benefit from a
charter school education.
    "The unique aspect about this scholarship is that it rewards students not
only for their academic achievement, but for outstanding community service, a
quality that will build solid leaders in the future," Vines said.
    Working with Scholarship Program Administrators, and the Charter School
Resource Center of Texas, Nissan launched a statewide charter school search
for college-bound seniors in Texas who have gone above and beyond the call of
duty in their communities and schools.
    Gov. George W. Bush is a strong advocate of charter schools in Texas.
Authorized by Texas law, charter schools are public schools that foster
educational competition and offer parental choice in education.  Charter
schools have a significant amount of autonomy and are free to create many
innovative curriculums and administrative practices.
    "There are currently 89 operational charter schools in Texas; a total of
168 that have been approved by the state," said Patsy O'Neill, executive
director, Charter School Resource Center of Texas.  "Charter schools provide
the chance for teachers, parents and communities to create a range of
educational choices for their children.  We commend Nissan for recognizing the
academic excellence in Texas' charter schools."
    "Operating in the heart of Dallas, with our national financing center,
Nissan Motor Acceptance Corporation (NMAC), we are proud to help these future
leaders get a head start today," said Vines.  "Nissan is committed to
investing in communities across Texas."
    Approximately 4,000 Texas public school students are currently enrolled in
charter schools.  These schools serve a larger percentage of minority (77
percent) and at-risk (72 percent) students than Texas public schools
statewide.
    The scholarship program is part of Nissan Neighbors, a corporate-wide
umbrella for all of Nissan's philanthropic giving, which includes various
sponsorships, in-kind donations, and other charitable activities focused on
helping meet the needs of communities throughout the United States.
    NMAC services $12.5 billion in loans and leases for the 850,000 Nissan
customers and retailers nationwide.  Furthermore, Nissan employs more than
4,400 people at NMAC and through its 69 Nissan and Infiniti retailers across
Texas.
    Nissan has invested more than $2 billion in the United States to establish
facilities for its design, research and development, manufacturing, sales,
consumer and corporate financing, and marketing operations.  More than 60
percent of the Nissan trucks and cars sold in America are built in America.
Last year, Nissan purchased more than $4.2 billion in parts and materials from
U.S.-based suppliers.
    Nissan employs more than 70,000 Americans, approximately 12,000 directly
and 58,000 at 1,250 Nissan and Infiniti retailers nationwide.  More
information about Nissan North America, Inc. and the complete line of Nissan
and Infiniti vehicles can be found on-line at http://www.nissan-na.com.