Mercedes-Benz Chicago Urban League Scholarships Top $232,000

More Than 50 Scholarships Awarded to Chicago Students Since 1991

CHICAGO, June 22 -- Mercedes-Benz USA has awarded a total of $232,000 worth of college scholarships to 58 Chicago-area students through its partnership with the Chicago Urban League. The scholarship program, which began in 1991, evaluates high-potential students based on both their financial need and academic performance, with Mercedes-Benz awarding $4,000 scholarships to each of the top four applicants each year.

"Excellence has always been a pillar of the Mercedes-Benz brand," said Joe Kurp, general manager of MBUSA's Chicago Region, "and as a result, supporting education is a natural fit for us, especially when it involves bright kids who are in financial need. In this regard, the Chicago Urban League program has been very successful."

The 2005 Chicago Urban League awards presentation will be made on Wednesday, June 22nd at the United Center, located at 1901 W. Madison Street, Chicago, IL., from noon to 2 p.m. This year's recipients are: Philip Craig, a freshman at Illinois State University in Normal; Brandon Gillespie, a freshman at Morehouse College in Atlanta; Pierre Lewis, Jr., a freshman at Northern Illinois University in DeKalb; and Kristin E. Richardson, a freshman at Northwestern University in Evanston. In addition the 2004 recipients -- Wesley Beck, a sophomore at the University of Wisconsin in Madison; Olivia Hughes, a sophomore at the University of Illinois at Urbana; Brandon Kennedy, a sophomore at Iowa State University in Ames; and Andre Richardson, a sophomore at Southern Illinois University in Carbondale -- will be honored during the presentation.

A Rigorous Process

Once a scholarship application is received and applicants are deemed eligible, they must interview with a three-person panel from the Scholarship Advisory Committee, which includes a Mercedes-Benz representative. Each applicant is evaluated on the basis of academic performance as well as financial need. The top four candidates are then reviewed by Barbara Holt, Chicago Urban League's education director, and ultimately approved by the League's president and CEO James W. Compton. He says, "This partnership has worked very well for the Chicago Urban League in generating funds toward educating students."

Separately, in 2004, Mercedes-Benz USA launched a national philanthropic program called DRIVE YOUR FUTURE: The Mercedes-Benz Scholarship Program, which awards scholarships to students across the country who are the first in their family to attend college.

Distinguished Service Award

Because of the company's long-term commitment to education, the Chicago Urban League honored Mercedes-Benz USA with its Distinguished Service Award in 2004, which is presented to corporations that have provided extensive service, resources and time to League projects.

About Mercedes-Benz USA

MBUSA, 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 2004, MBUSA achieved an all-time sales record of 221,610 new vehicles, setting the highest sales volume ever in its history and achieving eleven 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/ .

About The Chicago Urban League

Established in 1916, the mission of the Chicago Urban League is to eliminate racial discrimination and segregation and to work for the achievement of equal opportunity and parity for African Americans, other minorities and the poor in every phase of American life. Today the League's work is focused in three primary areas: education, economic development and community empowerment.

NOTE TO EDITORS: This story and high-resolution photos can be downloaded from the MBUSA news-media website at http://media.mbusa.com