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Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher Retired Partner Aulana L. Peters Honored by the Horatio Alger Association of Distinguished Americans
Eight California High School Scholars Also Recognized With $20,000 Scholarship

Washington, DC – (March 6, 2008) – The Horatio Alger Association of Distinguished Americans is proud to announce that Aulana L. Peters, former partner of Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher, will be presented with the 2008 Horatio Alger Award and inducted as a lifetime member of the Association during ceremonies in Washington, DC, April 3-5, 2008.
  
The Association is equally proud to announce eight high school seniors from California will join Peters in Washington to be honored as Horatio Alger National Scholars.  Horatio Alger National Scholars will receive $20,000 scholarships toward a college education. The students have demonstrated integrity, perseverance in overcoming hardships, strength of character, academic promise, a commitment to pursue higher education, and a desire to contribute to society.   

This year's scholarship recipients from California are: Jade A. Berry from Orange, Pauline  P. Dinh and Hien T. Ho from Garden Grove, Kayah A. Franklin from Elk Grove, Jordan L. Harms from Mill Valley, Lashay Massey from Fresno, Jeff Orellana from Redondo Beach and Adam D. Raize from Palm Desert. 

"Our 2008 members are a diverse group of individuals who serve as extraordinary role models for our nation's most ambitious youth.  Each of them has leveraged hard work, courage and determination to overcome extreme adversity and achieve the American Dream of achievement and success," said Horatio Alger Association Chairman Dennis R. Washington. "For over 60 years, the Association has been dedicated to honoring those that have defied the odds.  We are proud to continue that tradition this year."

The 61st annual events will take place in various historic landmarks in our nation's capital such as the U.S. Supreme Court, the U.S. Department of State, and DAR Constitution Hall.  The events will provide an opportunity for some of the nation's most impressive and determined young people to learn firsthand about the philosophies and experiences that helped the 2008 Horatio Alger Award recipients surmount significant obstacles to achieve successful lives.

Also being inducted in April are William F. Austin, CEO, Starkey Laboratories, Inc; J. Robert Beyster, retired chairman and CEO, Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC); Gary P. Brinson, founder and chairman, The Brinson Foundation; Joseph "Joe" Clark, chairman, Aviation Partners Boeing and chairman and CEO, Aviation Partners Inc.; Hadi Makarechian, chairman and CEO, Capital Pacific Holdings, Inc.; G. Wallace F. McCain, cofounder and vice chairman, McCain Foods Limited and chairman, Maple Leaf Foods Inc.; Lee E. Mikles, cofounder, president and CEO, FutureFuel Corporation; Joseph R. Moderow, senior vice president, general counsel and board member (retired), United Parcel Service; and Robert J. Schlegel, chairman and CEO, Pavestone Company, L.P.

In response to receiving the Horatio Alger Award, Aulana L. Peters stated, "For those that have little financial support, education is truly the ticket to the future. It is the way in which we prepare ourselves to compete and perform in our society. It is important to me, as well as the Horatio Alger Association, that the young people of America pursue an education and take advantage of everything they can with focus, hard work and perseverance."

Peters was born in Shreveport, Louisiana.  After living in the South for several years, Peters' father eventually moved her family to Philadelphia because he believed there were better opportunities for minorities in the North.  Her mother scrupulously saved so that Peters was able to attend Parochial school.  She was aware of the opportunities that are afforded by a good education.

Peters earned an undergraduate degree in philosophy from the College of New Rochelle, followed by a Juris Doctor degree from the University of Southern California. She worked for the national law firm of Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher from 1973 to 1984, and was elected partner by a vote of all in 1980.  In 1984, President Ronald Reagan appointed Peters as a Commissioner of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. She resumed working for Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher in 1988, retiring from there in 2000. 

Peters served from 2001 to 2002, as a member of the Public Oversight Board Panel of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants. She also served on the Financial Accounting Standards Board's Steering Committee for its Financial Reporting Project. Currently, Peters serves on the U.S. Comptroller General's Accountability Advisory Council and the International Public Interest Oversight Board. She serves on the boards of Northrop Grumman Corporation, 3M Corporation, Merrill Lynch & Company, Inc, Deere & Company and KCET public television station.  She is also a trustee for the Mayo Clinic.

About The Horatio Alger Association

Founded in 1947, the Horatio Alger Association of Distinguished Americans continues to fulfill its mission of honoring the achievements of outstanding individuals in our society who have succeeded in spite of adversity and of encouraging young people to pursue their dreams through higher education. The Horatio Alger Association offers scholarships through three annual programs: the National Scholarship Program, State Scholarship Programs for high school seniors and the Horatio Alger Military Veterans Scholarship Program for U.S. veterans of the Afghanistan and Iraq conflicts. The Association now awards more than $12 million annually in college scholarships, totaling $52 million in recent years. For more information about the scholarships, please visit www.horatioalger.org.

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