Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A., Inc., (TMS) recently rewarded 100 high school seniors with $1 million in college scholarships for their commitment to education and community service at an awards banquet. The winners, who make up the 12th class of Toyota Community Scholars, were chosen from a pool of more than 8,000 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 2008 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, Jacob Rouse of Union, Ky., put it: "When helping others, an incredible feeling is instilled in your veins. This feeling allows you to believe you have meaning in the world." For the 2008 class, their dreams of making a difference became reality through programs ranging from raising $120,000 for the American Cancer Society to collecting over 3,000 pounds of food that was distributed to youngsters at more than 160 schools. In addition, one scholar — a cancer survivor and amputee — has personally visited more than 600 patients with the same afflictions, providing them with gift boxes. "It is truly amazing to see what these 100 high school seniors have accomplished at such a young age," ays Michael Rouse, TMS corporate manager of philanthropy and community affairs. "Their dedication both to academics and community service is an inspiration to all of us." 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 2008. Since the Toyota Community Scholars program began in 1997, TMS has awarded over $13 million in scholarships to 1,200 students across the U.S. Kristen Allcorn, a Toyota Community Scholar from Sedalia, Mo., is a prime example of the dedication to community service exhibited by this year's class. As the founder of The Community Cafe, Allcorn and her group of volunteer students have provided over 11,000 free evening meals to needy residents in her hometown. Hot meals are served five nights a week, with plans to expand that to three meals each day, seven days a week. All told, Allcorn and her group have raised over $13,000 to keep The Community Cafe operational. Consequently, Allcorn, like many of the scholars, found community service to be the roadmap to what she wants to do in the future. "I never imagined the impact The Community Cafe would have on my community or myself. The Community Cafe has influenced my career plans, and I have committed to living a life of service." 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 San Antonio that was attended by education, community, business and government leaders. Liz Murray, subject of the Lifetime Television movie “From Homeless to Harvard” was the keynote speaker. The two-and-a-half-day program included a tour of Toyota Motor Manufacturing, Texas, Inc., in San Antonio, which builds the Tundra full-size pickup truck. In addition, the Scholars enjoyed an authentic Texas BBQ dinner, with games, entertainment and dancing at the Rio Cibolo Ranch. Winners are listed by state with their cities and high schools also listed. ALABAMA
Nicole Bohannon, Sheffield, Sheffield High School ALASKA
Ceylon Mitchell, Anchorage, East Anchorage High School ARIZONA
Joanna Yang, Phoenix, Desert Vista High School
Teri Yu, Phoenix, Desert Vista High School ARKANSAS
Ashley Louks, Judsonia, Pangburn High School
Michelle Martin, Jasper,, Jasper High School CALIFORNIA
Albert Chen, Buena Park, Oxford Academy
Theodore Gonder, Glendale, Crescenta Valley High School
Carlos Guzman, Dinuba, Dinuba High School
Monica Liu, Rancho Palos Verdes, Palos Verdes Peninsula High School
Jasmine Nachtigall, San Mateo, Hillsdale High School
Rita Sandoval, Desert Hot Springs, Desert Hot Springs High School
Zachary Stauber, Gold River, Mira Loma High School
Gregory Woodburn, Ventura, Ventura Senior High School
Danni Xie, Thousand Oaks, Westlake High School COLORADO
Bret Johnson, Fountain, Fountain Ft. Carson High School
David Rolla, Commerce City, Adams City High School CONNECTICUT
Laura Ly, Shelton, Shelton High School DELAWARE
Virginia Nicholson, Wilmington, Tower Hill School DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
Margaret Birkel, Washington, National Cathedral School FLORIDA
David Akinin, Miami, Dr. Michael M. Krop Senior High School
Sarah Hodges, Leesburg, First Academy
Lauren Rowe, Gainesville, Eastside High School
Bernadette Stocker, Flagler Beach, St. Joseph Academy GEORGIA
Jordan Croom, Marietta, Walker School
Caterina Li, Duluth, Duluth High School
Kanya Manoj, Duluth, Woodward Academy
Laura Okolie, Riverdale, Riverdale High School ILLINOIS
Maddelynn Hawkins, Pinckneyville, Pinckneyville Community High School
Elena Holler, Sherman, Williamsville High School
Christine Mattappillil, Glenview, Glenbrook South High School
Kathleen McGlynn, Belleville, Althoff Catholic High School INDIANA
Eric Majors, Indianapolis, Pike High School IOWA
Briana McGeough, Cedar Falls, Cedar Falls High School KANSAS
Nandini Sarma, Overland Park, Shawnee Mission East High School KENTUCKY
Deep Aggarwal, Louisville, Dupont Manual High School
Jacob Rouse, Union,, Larry A. Ryle High School LOUISIANA
Danielle Axelson, Bossier City, Airline High School
Shanell Booker, Monroe, Wossman High School
Niharika Jain, Shreveport, Caddo Parish Magnet High School MAINE
Thomas Balch, Newcastle, Lincoln Academy MARYLAND
Maria Sebastian, Boyds, Northwest High School
Eric Weisberg, Bethesda, Walt Whitman High School
Xuemin Zhang, Burtonsville, Paint Branch High School MASSACHUSETTS
Marie DeLuca, Stow, Nashoba Regional High School
Luke Fraser, Hopkinton, Hopkinton High School MICHIGAN
Casey Hoffman, Menominee, Menominee Area High School
Alexandra McGregor, Waterford, Waterford Kettering High School
Mitchell Rivard, Bay City, Bay City Western High School MINNESOTA
Shanna Decker, Plainview, Plainview-Elgin-Millville High School
Caitlin Johnson, Rochester, Century High School
Megan Sjostrom, Lafayette, GFW High School MISSISSIPPI
Abigail Hardin, Clinton, Jackson Academy
Lynice Higgins, Hazlehurst, Hazlehurst High School MISSOURI
Kristen Allcorn, Sedalia, Smith-Cotton High School
Lauren Lacey, Troy, Troy Buchanan High School
Kathleen Russell, Webster Groves, Cor Jesu Academy MONTANA
Chelsea Brauer, Forsyth, Forsyth High School NEBRASKA
Wayne Banks, Bellevue, Bellevue West Senior High School
Keshav Rao, Omaha, Brownell-Talbot School NEVADA
Brian Choe, Las Vegas, Advanced Technologies Academy NEW HAMPSHIRE
Jeffrey McInnis, Greenville, Mascenic Regional High School NEW JERSEY
Sharon Kim, Fort Lee, Bergen County Academies
John Monagle, Clark, Arthur L. Johnson High School
Becky Moran, Pleasantville, Home schooled
Jolene Wang, Piscataway, Piscataway High School NEW YORK
Eason Hahm, Chestnut Ridge, Spring Valley Senior High School
Jason Mogen, Dix Hills, Half Hollow Hills High School West
Nastasha Pollard, Stony Point, North Rockland High School
Brittany Robles, Smithtown, Smithtown High School West
Sheel Tyle, Pittsford, Pittsford Mendon High School NORTH CAROLINA
Elizabeth Carney, Charlotte, Myers Park High School
Ryan Hollander, Winston-Salem, Forsyth Country Day School NORTH DAKOTA
Alex Windjue, West Fargo, West Fargo High School OHIO
Ann Cheng, Cincinnati, Walnut Hills High School
Jacob Potticary, Loveland, Loveland High School OKLAHOMA
Carly Schnaithman, Garber, Garber High School OREGON
Richie Day, Salem, South Salem Senior High School PENNSYLVANIA
Christopher Shotter, Monaca, Monaca Junior/Senior High School SOUTH CAROLINA
Tyler Bridges, Sumter, Sumter High School
Graham Van Schaik, Columbia, Spring Valley High School SOUTH DAKOTA
Nicholas Stukel, Burke, Gregory High School TENNESSEE
Sharda Fields, Memphis, Whitehaven High School
Caroline Hadley, Knoxville, Bearden High School
Chandler Lawson, Tullahoma, Tullahoma High School TEXAS
Trevor Burbank, Flower Mound, Flower Mound High School
Nicole Castro, Keller, Keller High School
Mark Hernandez, Eagle Pass, C.C. Winn High School
Marilyn Mootz, Dallas, Highland Park High School
Jasmine Thum, Austin, Liberal Arts & Science Academy
Kavita Venkateswar, San Antonio, Winston Churchill High School UTAH
Sydney Hartsell, Salt Lake City, Rowland Hall St. Mark's School VIRGINIA
Ian Akers, Radford, Radford High School
Ariel Talts, Danville, Galileo Magnet High School
Sydney Tenhundfeld, Charlottesville, Renaissance School WASHINGTON
Erik Hille, Ritzville,Ritzville High School
Sarah Klemsz, Battle Ground, Prairie High School
Brian Tolkin, Mercer Island, Mercer Island High School WISCONSIN
Brittaney Check, Wauwatosa, Wauwatosa East High School
Rachael Lester, Cedarburg, Cedarburg Senior High School |
