Contact: Horatio Alger Association
(301) 392-6053

Life's Hardships Yield Special Scholarships For 50 South Dakota High School Seniors

June 1, 2006/Washington, D.C. - Poverty, disability, foster care, parental substance abuse, and physical abuse are among the adversities that could not prevent fifty outstanding high school seniors from throughout South Dakota from wanting to live out their American dream and have more for themselves. Each is now the recipient of a 2006 Horatio Alger South Dakota Scholarship of two thousand five hundred dollars for their college education. (A complete list of the 2006 Horatio Alger South Dakota Scholars immediately follows this release).

The year's class of Horatio Alger South Dakota Scholars is the first to receive scholarships through the program initiated last year as means to recognize the aspirations of South Dakota's youth and inspire them to continue to strive toward their goals. The young people selected for the scholarship have demonstrated success in academics, co-curricular activities and community service while taking on some of life's most difficult challenges. Each possess the aspirations and potential to make important contributions in South Dakota and throughout the world. The scholarship may be used by the recipients to meet their educational goals at any accredited college or university within the United States.

The Horatio Alger South Dakota Scholars Program is funded through the generosity of the MidAmerican Energy Holdings Corporation. MidAmerican Energy Holdings Corporation's Chairman and CEO is David L. Sokol. Mr. Sokol was inducted as a Member of the Horatio Alger Association, an organization comprised of Americans who have overcome adversity to achieve success, in 2004 and currently serves at the Association's Vice President.

"No child should be denied access to a higher education because of financial need. This program will provide the outstanding young people in South Dakota who have demonstrated their willingness to work hard and a desire to achieve with the opportunity to attain their goals by making a college education attainable for them", states David L Sokol, . Since 1984 the Horatio Alger Association's need based scholarship programs have helped hundreds of deserving students across the nation pursue their dreams of a post secondary education through their unique scholarships that recognize the circumstances and hardships of students as well as their achievements. Mr. Sokol continues, "The Horatio Alger Association's experience working with students of limited financial means who want to obtain a college education is unmatched."

The Horatio Alger Association of Distinguished Americans is a nonprofit educational association. Through the generosity of its members, more than $8.5 million in need-based college scholarships will be awarded this year to young people nationwide. For more information about the Association's scholarships and programs please visit www.horatioalger.org.

Applications for consideration as a 2007 Horatio Alger South Dakota Scholar are available June 1 through October 15, 2006 at www.horatioalger.org/scholarships.

2006 South Dakota Scholarship Winners

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