LOS ANGELES, March 6, 2002 (PRIMEZONE) -- MEDIA ADVISORY --
WHAT: In line with President Bush's call for volunteerism and community service, five Los Angeles/ Ventura area high school seniors will compete in the final round of the Hitachi Safety Scholarship competition. Review panel made up of community and business leaders selected the finalists based on the quality of a written proposal on how each student had improved safety within their own communities. In this final round each student will present an interactive, multi-media oral presentation regarding his or her efforts to a panel of community leaders. The panel will judge the presentations, and award the winner a $5,000 scholarship for college from Hitachi, Ltd. The four runners-up will each receive a $1,000 scholarship. The winner, judges and a Hitachi representative will be available for one-on-one interviews immediately following the ceremony. WHY: Underscoring a commitment to corporate citizenship, Hitachi is proud to recognize and encourage young adults committed to tackling important social issues through community service. To this end, Hitachi, Ltd. is awarding $27,000 in college scholarships to students throughout California who successfully demonstrate a commitment to making schools and communities safer for their peers. Similar competitions are taking place regionally on March 14th in Orange County/San Diego and March 21st in the Bay Area. WHEN: Thursday, March 7th, 2002, 10:00 a.m. - 2:30 p.m. 10:00 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. Presentations 12:30 p.m. - 2:30 p.m. Lunch served and awards presented WHERE: Los Angeles Public Library The Mark Taper Auditorium, 630 West Fifth Street Los Angeles, CA 90071 WHO: The 2002 Student Finalists -- Aisha Masooda Ali, Gretchen Whitney High School, Cerritos -- Adam Frederick Borelli, Westlake High School, Thousand Oaks -- Godfrey Plata, California Academy Of Math and Science, Carson -- Noor Salim, Village Christian High, Sun Valley -- Victoria Williams, Westridge School, Pasadena The 2002 Judges: -- Ms. Diana Gilmore, Los Angeles Times in Education -- Mr. Stewart Kwoh, President and Executive Director, Asian Pacific American Legal Center -- Mr. Fernando Chacon, Director of Youth Services, El Centro del Pueblo -- Sgt. Jeff Hamilton, Juvenile Youth Impact Program, Los Angeles Police Department -- Melissa Richardson Banks, Director of Sponsorship and Marketing, Library Foundation of Los Angeles