Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A., Inc., (TMS) is rewarding 100 high school seniors with $1 million in college scholarships for their commitment to education and community service. Chris Appleton of Spaulding High School in Barre was the sole Vermont winner.
The 12 national and 88 regional winners, who make up the 13th 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 their achievements, the 2009 class will continue helping others on their journey as college students. "I know that I will only find happiness and fulfillment in my life by dedicating my time to something meaningful - something that makes a difference in the world, in mankind, or in somebody's life," said Scholar Ethan Soodak of Silver Spring, Md.
For the 2009 class, their contributions to the global community are far reaching and range from raising $1.5 million for the eradication of neurological disease, to providing medical and educational resources for over 4,000 orphans in Southern Asia.
"In these tough economic times, it is particularly rewarding to see these students having such a tremendous impact in their communities," said Michael Rouse, TMS vice president of philanthropy and community affairs. "They are stellar examples of service and commitment and remind us all what's really important."
Valued at $20,000 each for national winners, and $10,000 for regional, the scholarships are awarded over four years beginning in the fall of 2009 for study at a four-year college or university. Since the Toyota Community Scholars program began in 1997, TMS has awarded over $14 million in scholarships to 1,300 students across the U.S.
Jourdan Urbach, a Toyota Community Scholar from Roslyn Heights, NY, demonstrates the dedication to community service by the members of this year's class. As the founder of Children Helping Children (CHC), Urbach established Concerts for a Cure to utilize his gift as a talented violinist to raise $1.5 million in the fight against neurological disease. CHC funds provide materials for music therapy in pediatric playrooms, medical equipment, home healthcare for patients with advanced disease and grants for cutting edge neurological research.
Determined to create a "youthquake" across the globe by putting a face on philanthropy in healthcare, Urbach has encouraged 700 young musicians to get involved in this international movement.
"I have learned through my years of service that there is no age limit for doing something extraordinary for humanity," says the scholar. "My dream is to see symphony orchestras and young soloists working together in every city around the world, raising funds and awareness to cure neurological disease through their art."
The national and regional winners were selected by a panel of college and university admissions officials from across the U.S. The Toyota Community Scholars program is administered by Educational Testing Services in Princeton, N.J.
About Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A., Inc.
Toyota Motor Sales (TMS), U.S.A., Inc. is the marketing, sales, distribution and customer service arm of Toyota, Lexus and Scion. Established in 1957, TMS markets products and services through a network of more than 1,400 Toyota, Lexus and Scion dealers. Toyota directly employs more than 34,000 people in the U.S. and sold more than 2.2 million vehicles in 2008.
NOTE:
*A list of Toyota Community Scholars is below.
*A "snapshot" of specific community service projects is below.
*Upon request, digital photographs of individual Scholars can be sent electronically. Please e-mail request to:[email protected]
2009 TOYOTA COMMUNITY SCHOLARS
CITY HIGH SCHOOL
ALABAMA
Wade Ash Atmore Escambia Academy
ARIZONA
Grace Do Chandler Corona Del Sol High School
ARKANSAS
Cody Hooks Little Rock Wilbur D Mills Univ Studies HS
CALIFORNIA
Nicholas Davis Fresno Clovis West High School
Trevor Geller Foothill Ranch Trabuco Hills High School
Preeya Goyal Temecula Great Oak High School
Tavish Nanda* Alamo Monte Vista High School
Harleen Sethi Modesto Fred C Beyer High School
Ann Wang* Rancho Cucamonga Los Osos High School
Frankie Wong Artesia Gretchen Whitney High School
Connie Wu Cupertino Monta Vista High School
COLORADO
Rachel Buchmeier Loveland Loveland High School
Sarah Linke* Castle Rock Rock Canyon High School
DELAWARE
Rebecca Godwin Milford Milford Senior High School
FLORIDA
Alexis Dempsey Wesley Chapel Berkeley Preparatory
Tura Magley Bradenton Manatee High School
Samuel Morales West Palm Beach Cardinal Newman High School
Rohit Thummalapalli Hialeah American Heritage Sch Plantatn
Andrew Zarzeski Lutz Freedom High School
GEORGIA
Melissa Adams Cumming South Forsyth High School
HAWAII
Kimberly Lee Honolulu Punahou School
ILLINOIS
Kathleen Leinweber Woodstock Woodstock High School
Kevin McDermott Burr Ridge Lyons Township HS N Campus
Gabrielle
Vanspeybroeck East Moline United Township High School
INDIANA
Erin Biel Carmel Park Tudor School
Taylor Sanders Bedford Bedford-North Lawrence HS
IOWA
Jeralyn Westercamp Cedar Rapids John F. Kennedy High School
KANSAS
Melissa Mckittrick Mission Hills Shawnee Mission East High
Dakota Meyers Hoisington Hoisington High School
KENTUCKY
Joseph Konerman Edgewood Saint Xavier High School
Katherine Lutes Union Larry A. Ryle High School
Sarah Rudolph Paducah Paducah Tilghman High School
LOUISIANA
Raven Hollins Bastrop Bastrop High School
Seena Khosravi Baton Rouge Baton Rouge Magnet High School
David Rudd Deridder Deridder High School
MARYLAND
Peter Andes Berlin Stephen Decatur High School
Ethan Soodak* Silver Spring James Hubert Blake High
Sitara Weerasuriya Olney Sherwood High School
MASSACHUSETTS
Emily Cunningham Weymouth Cardinal Spellman High School
Anokhee Mepani Westwood Westwood High School
MICHIGAN
Hemant Gandhi* Okemos Okemos High School
Emily Hsiao Ann Arbor Huron High School
Kathryn Vanham Richmond Richmond High School
MINNESOTA
Ashlee Kephart* Brooklyn Center Park Center Senior High School
Derek Rood Pequot Lakes Pequot Lakes High School
Chantal Wilson Greenbush Greenbush Middle River HS
MISSOURI
Samuel Pelts Warrenton Warren County R-III Senior
Allison Pettit Aurora Aurora R-VIII High School
MONTANA
Kelsey Cable Saint Ignatius St. Ignatius High School
NEBRASKA
Tyler Gifford Harrisburg Banner County Schools
Danika Young Atkinson West Holt High School
Daniel Zhou Lincoln Lincoln Southwest High School
NEVADA
Melanie Malinas Reno The Davidson Academy of NV
NEW HAMPSHIRE
Nicholas Letizio Windham Salem High School
NEW JERSEY
Katherine Adams Rumson Ranney School
Matthew Certner Morristown Morristown High School
Molly Roy Moorestown Moorestown High School
Marisa Sanders Hackettstown Hackettstown High School
NEW MEXICO
Shelby Gonzales Maxwell Maxwell High School
NEW YORK
Mariam Braimah Hauppauge Hauppauge High School
Eugenia Gurvich Hawthorne Westlake High School
Noah Sheinbaum Chappaqua Horace Greeley High School
Sujay Tyle Pittsford Pittsford Mendon High School
Jourdan Urbach* Roslyn Heights Roslyn High School
Alexa Zahl New York Horace Mann School
NORTH CAROLINA
Michael Atkins Pikeville Charles Baycock High School
Julie Crimmins Chapel Hill Chapel Hill High School
Milan Kantesaria Fayetteville Fayetteville Academy
John Turner Raleigh Middle Creek High School
OHIO
Andrew Schultze Kettering Kettering High School
OKLAHOMA
Lashun Oakley Ada Latta High School
Emily Sanders Oklahoma City Western Heights High School
OMAN
Sahar Khan* Muscat American British Academy
PENNSYLVANIA
Rebecca Adelsheim Pittsburgh Ellis School
James Creeley Williamsport Saint John Neumann Regional
Alison Geesey Spring Mills Penns Valley Area Jr-Sr HS
Vinay Trivedi Newton Princeton Day High School
SOUTH CAROLINA
Melanie Zhao Florence West Florence High School
SOUTH DAKOTA
Emily Sperry* Bath Roncalli High School
TENNESSEE
Tiffany Carpenter Thompsons Station Independence High School
John Loehle Wartrace Tullahoma High School
Lauren Lyke Strawberry Plains Jefferson County High School
TEXAS
Molly Dudensing Sagerton Rule High School
Bonnie Duncan San Benito San Benito High School
Julie England Winters Winters High School
Tyler Folse Houston Saint Thomas Episcopal
Patrick Foster Sachse Sachse High School
Aditya Kumar Stafford Stafford High School
Alexa Sassin Houston Saint John's High School
Jordan Sessler* Austin Liberal Arts and Science Aca.
UTAH
Bradley Jencks South Jordan Bingham High School
VERMONT
Chris Appleton* Barre Spaulding High School
VIRGINIA
David Ramish Vienna Thomas Jefferson HS Sci/Tec
WASHINGTON
Brenna Fallon Seattle Seattle Preparatory High School
Lauren Kuhn Aberdeen Weatherwax (Aberdeen) HS
Stephanie Nicholson Camas Camas Senior High School
Misbah Uraizee Bellevue Sammamish High School
Brian Vance* Yakima Selah High School
WISCONSIN
Emily Jordan Black River Falls Black River Falls High School
Natalia Thompson Madison West High School
* National winner - $20,000 scholarship
All others receive $10,000 scholarship
2009 TOYOTA COMMUNITY SCHOLARS
Community Service Snapshots
Following is a sampling of community-service projects performed by the 2009 class of Toyota Community Scholars (more detail can be provided upon request; student interviews can also be arranged).
Founded Children Helping Children (CHC), a musical charity foundation which raises funds through Concerts for a Cure for hospitals, research and international medical organizations targeting neurological disease. The award-winning concert violinist has raised $1.5 million performing at numerous benefit concert venues including Carnegie Hall. He has encouraged 700 young musicians to spearhead CHC satellite chapters across the nation with the common goal of saving lives through music. (Jourdan Urbach, Roslyn Heights, NY)
Personally inspired by the passing of his grandfather, this Scholar established SeniorLink to familiarize nursing home residents with computers, while reaping the benefits of keeping their minds active and alert. SeniorLink refurbishes donated computers and distributes them to senior centers in Bucks County and northern New Jersey. Since its inception, the organization has collected more than 75 computers and also hosts weekly hands-on and user-friendly skill-building sessions for seniors. (Vinay Trivedi, Newtown, Penn.)
Forever changed by touching stories from orphans while traveling to Asia, this Scholar created Foundations for Joy to improve the lives of orphans in Southern Asia. Providing necessities such as food, water, shelter, medical care, educational resources and vocational training, the organization distributed $65,000 worth of aid to 4,042 children in 2008. Foundations for Joy works with 37 different orphanages, has raised a total of approximately $100,000 and is also working to provide permanent, reliable sources of electricity to orphanages in Sri Lanka through the installation of solar generators. (Jordan Sessler, Austin, TX)
Founded CarbonNeutralVolunteers.org (CNV), which is dedicated to raising global awareness on climate change and promoting green lifestyle changes through an innovative concept of volunteer carbon credits. Raised $20,000 for solar ovens in Tanzania and solar water heaters at Michigan-based Okemos High School and a hospital in Peru. This student's group has also sold hundreds of CFL bulbs during door-to-door drives. Having represented CNV at several global events, his goal is to nurture a new generation of climate leaders. (Hemant Gandhi, Okemos, Mich.)
Beginning as an Eagle Scout service project, this Scholar went the extra mile to identify thousands of unrecorded gravesites at a local ghost town cemetery. Organizing over 2,000 volunteers, his team restored grave markers, installed headstones, identified 1,100 unknown burials in a 1,500 page cemetery book, established a wall of honor for 1,825 individuals, created an information center, fence, road and monument dedicated to honor veterans from 6 wars. He helped to raise $50,000 in relation to the project and produced documentaries for The History Channel and Roots Television. Research was donated to libraries, the State Historical Society and free websites to connect people with their living relatives and heritage. (Bradley Jencks, South Jordan, UT)
Source: TORRANCE, Calif., June 10 /PRNewswire/ --