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May 9, 2008 - San Antonio, TX - Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A., Inc., (TMS) rewarded 100 high school seniors with $1 million in college scholarships for their commitment to education and community service at an awards banquet tonight.

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 over 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," said 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 Café, 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 Café 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 Café would have on my community or myself. The Community Café 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.

Toyota Motor Sales (TMS), U.S.A., Inc. is the marketing, sales, distribution and customer service arm of Toyota, Lexus and Scion in the United States, marketing products and services through a network of 1,427 Toyota, Lexus and Scion dealers in 49 states. Established in 1957, TMS and its subsidiaries also are involved in distribution logistics, motorsports, and research and development.

 2008 TOYOTA COMMUNITY SCHOLARS CITY HIGH SCHOOL 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 * National winner - $20,000 scholarship All others 
receive $10,000 scholarship 

2008 TOYOTA COMMUNITY SCHOLARS
Community Service Snapshots

Following is a small sampling of community-service projects performed by the 2008 class of Toyota Community Scholars (more detail can be provided upon request; student interviews can also be arranged).

• Surviving cancer and an amputation inspired this Scholar to found the Hearts of Hope project, where she mentors and personally visits cancer patients and amputees as they undergo treatments and/or recover from limb loss. Over the past nine years, she has visited more than 600 patients, and dedicates more than 300 hours of service per year to patients and their families. She funds the project herself with money earned from a part-time job.
(Shanna Decker, Plainview, Minn.)

• Founded The Community Café, a soup kitchen that has provided more than 11,000 meals to the needy. The Community Café has also raised more than $13,000 from civic groups and individuals. Hot meals are currently served five nights a week; the program also provides a take-out meal service. This Scholar hopes to expand The Community Café to offer meals three times each day, seven days a week to ease hunger and help to relieve the financial strain of the people served. (Kristen Allcorn, Sedalia, Mo.)

• This Scholar helped raise $21,000 to benefit Team River Runner, an organization that rehabilitates wounded U.S. soldiers at a local hospital by teaching them to kayak. The majority of the funds bought a new transport van as well as three new kayaks for the wounded veterans to use. His work with the organization has helped raise awareness about the wounded soldiers recovering at nearby Walter Reed Hospital. (Eric Weisberg, Bethesda, Md.)

• In 2005, founded Beyond All Borders – a project that aims to help children suffering from weekend hunger. The program has since collected over 3,000 pounds of food for distribution to more than 160 schools in New Jersey. Beyond All Borders has also expanded its focus to global-hunger issues by reaching out to help alleviate Kenya's hunger problems. This student's group also raised $5,300 to plant five acres of passion fruit for 50 Kenyan farm families. (John Monagle, Clark, N.J.)

• Based on the need for programs focused on character-development in children, this Scholar started a non-profit foundation called the Open My Eyes Foundation, which carries a message encouraging students to see every person as valuable. By means of the book she has authored, Look At Me I Am Just Like You, this Scholar has led discussions with over 1,500 children, ultimately raising awareness that leads students to accept diversity. She is confident that her project will help put an end to loneliness, racism, suicides, self-centeredness and bullying in forthcoming generations. (Abigail Hardin, Clinton, Miss.)

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