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Kyle D. Coleman and Laura M. Benavides of Upper Lake are Awarded $20,000 Scholarship
High School Students are Two of 104 National Scholars Invited to Washington D.C. for Awards Ceremonies

WASHINGTON, Feb. 23, 2009 – The Horatio Alger Association of Distinguished Americans, Inc. is pleased to announce that it has awarded Kyle D. Coleman and Laura M. Benavides of Upper Lake the National Scholar award to fund their college educations.

Coleman and Benavides were selected for the Horatio Alger National Scholarship Program because they have faced and overcome great obstacles in their young lives while demonstrating strength of character, a commitment to pursue a college education and a desire to contribute to society. The National Scholars are among the best and most determined youth in America.

Kyle attends Upper Lake High School, where he is a member of the basketball team, the football team, Academic Decathlon and Student Advisory. He is an active volunteer with various organizations including Dance Festival and he coaches basketball.

Laura attends Upper Lake High School, where she is a member of Band and the Academic Decathlon Team. She is an active volunteer with various organizations including Nice Community Baptist Church, Cloyd's Care Home for the Elderly and Northshore Volunteer Fire Station.

The Horatio Alger Scholarship Program is one of the largest need-based financial aid programs in the country. The scholarships are awarded to students like Kyle and Laura who have demonstrated integrity and perseverance in overcoming adversity, while demonstrating strength of character, strong academics, commitment to pursue a college education and desire to contribute to society. The Horatio Alger Association annually awards nearly $7 million in college scholarships in the United States.

“The Horatio Alger National Scholars have amazing stories of overcoming adversity and continuing to persevere through life, and they truly exemplify the Horatio Alger ideals,” said David L. Sokol, president and chief executive officer of the Horatio Alger Association. “In the current economic climate with many students struggling to find funding for college, we are delighted to be awarding so many scholarships to deserving youth.”

This year, the association awarded $20,000 scholarships to 104 young men and women from all 50 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico. The 2009 National Scholars will soon travel to Washington for an all-expense paid trip to the Horatio Alger Awards. The scholars will attend conferences and listen to guest speakers, participate in formal award ceremonies at the U.S. Supreme Court Building and Constitution Hall, and meet with the 2009 Horatio Alger members who are being inducted as adult American success stories. The three-day event concludes with a scholars’ breakfast.

Each scholar receives $20,000 and is given access to tools specifically designed to help them prepare for college, perform better while there, graduate at a higher rate, develop career skills and seek a lifetime relationship with the Horatio Alger Association. The scholarships include:

• Funding to be used toward tuition, fees, books, and room and board on campus
• Financial aid counseling and access to the Collegiate Partners Program
• Access to the association’s Web site, which allows students to create online profiles, search for fellow scholars, update their personal information, submit disbursement requests and direct questions to the association
• Membership in the Horatio Alger National Scholar Alumni Association after graduation;
• Subscription to the association’s newsletter Strive to Succeed
• Access to a crisis line that assists scholars with a wide range of serious challenges
• Attendance at the National Scholars Conference, with sessions on the transition from college life to learning important life skills
• The Student Readiness Inventory test, which measures psychological and study skill factors and assesses scholars’ readiness for school

To view the complete list of Horatio Alger scholars, visit our Web site at https://www.horatioalger.com//scholarships/awards.cfm.

The Horatio Alger Association is also pleased to announce that Grammy award-winning producer David Foster of Los Angeles California and Clayton Denzel Washington of Beverly Hills California will be presented with 2009 Horatio Alger Awards and inducted as a lifetime members of the association for their determination in achieving success despite a humble upbringing.

Foster, a producer, composer and arranger for Reprise Records and 143 Records in Los Angeles, will be officially inducted April 3 into the prestigious association in Washington. Recipients must have overcome humble beginnings or adversity to achieve success and serve as outstanding role models to the national community.

Washington, an Academy Award® winning actor and director, will be officially inducted into the prestigious association on April 3rd in Washington, D.C. Recipients must have overcome humble beginnings or adversity to achieve success and serve as outstanding role models to the national community.

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 three annual scholarship programs: the National Scholarship Program, State Scholarship Programs, and Graduate Grants. The association awards nearly $7 million annually in college scholarships and has given more than $63 million to deserving students since 1984. The association is a 2008 Combined Federal Campaign participant, ID# 77062. For more information, please visit www.horatioalger.org.

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