Hispanic Scholarship Fund Announces Inductees Into 2009 Alumni Hall of Fame

NEW YORK,  -- The Hispanic Scholarship Fund (HSF) today announced it will induct five extraordinary Latinos and honor one corporation at its eighth annual Alumni Hall of Fame gala on September 30, 2009. Natalie Morales, co-anchor and national correspondent for NBC's Today Show, will serve as the event's emcee at The Pierre Hotel in New York City.

HSF (http://www.hsf.net), the nation's preeminent organization supporting Latino higher education, aims to inspire future generations of Latino college graduates by honoring Latinos who have excelled in their fields.

Each year, HSF selects four outstanding HSF alumni who were aided by an HSF scholarship while in college. A fifth individual, while not a former HSF Scholar, is selected for his or her success and excellence. Awards are given in five categories: Triunfador (The Triumphant), Brillante (The Rising Star), Optimista (The Optimist), Altruista (The Humanitarian), and Inspirador (The Motivator).

For the first time, HSF will also present a "Corporate Honoree" award to The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc., to recognize the long-standing commitment the company has made to the Latino community through several educational and career development programs. Lloyd C. Blankfein, chairman and CEO of Goldman Sachs, will accept the award on the company's behalf.

This year's inductees and honorees are:

• Triunfador, Carmen Baez, President, DAS Latin America, Omnicom Group
• Brillante, Adam Aponte, M.D., Medical Director, Brownsville Multi-Service Family Health Center
• Optimista, Edgar Figueroa, Executive Director of The Wi-Fi Alliance
• Altruista, Sandra R. Hernandez, M.D., CEO of The San Francisco Foundation
• Inspirador, Edgar Sandoval, General Manager, North America Marketing at Procter & Gamble

Past Alumni Hall of Fame inductees include former Surgeon General Richard Carmona, U.S. Ambassador to Mexico Tony Garza, and Time Warner Vice President Lisa Quiroz.

"We are proud to honor these inductees because they personify the mission and values of HSF, and serve as extremely positive role models for other Latino students," said Frank D. Alvarez, HSF President & CEO. "They are an inspiration to aspiring Latinos everywhere and their success stories are testimony to the impact of higher education and the tremendous difference it makes in their community and individual's life."

The HSF Alumni Hall of Fame was created in 2002 to honor Hispanics who demonstrate the power of higher education by highlighting how attaining a college degree can change individual lives and society as a whole for the better. Each of the honoree's lifetime challenges and subsequent accomplishments illustrate the opportunities made possible through higher education and personify the mission and values of HSF.

Platinum Sponsors of this year's event are: Anheuser-Busch, Inc., Procter & Gamble, Toyota Motor Sales U.S.A., Inc., The Williams Capital Group, L.P., and USA Funds. Gold Sponsors are: The Coca-Cola Company, Southwest Airlines, Time Warner Inc., and Exxon Mobil Corporation. Silver Sponsors are: Altria Group, American Express, The Bank of New York Mellon, Chubb & Son, Inc., Ernst & Young LLP, Fleishman-Hillard, Grey Group, HSBC - North America, JPMorgan Chase & Co., Korn/Ferry International, Marathon Oil Corporation, Morgan Stanley, Christopher B. O'Malley & Wendy Flanagan, Omnicom Group, Inc., Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP, Target, and Wells Fargo.

About The Hispanic Scholarship Fund:

The Hispanic Scholarship Fund (HSF) is the nation's leading Hispanic scholarship organization, providing the Hispanic community more college scholarships and educational outreach support than any other organization in the country. In its 34 year history, the Hispanic Scholarship Fund has awarded close to $280M in scholarships to more than 90,000 students in need. Two-thirds of these students were the first in their families to go to college. For the 2008-2009 academic year, 4,600 college bound Hispanic students were awarded scholarships worth $28M. HSF scholars are high achievers and they have or are attending close to 2,000 of the nation's diverse and academically rigorous colleges and universities in all 50 states, Puerto Rico, Guam and the U.S. Virgin Islands. For more information about HSF, please visit: WWW.HSF.NET.