Sallie Mae Recognizes Nicolas Mendoza as Winner of National Hispanic Heritage Youth Award for Leadership

Sallie Mae, the nation’s leading saving- and paying-for-college company, honors Nicolas Esteban Mendoza of Alpine, Calif. as the recipient of the Hispanic Heritage Youth Award for Leadership. A first-year student at Stanford University, Mendoza arrived in Washington, D.C. today to participate in leadership workshops and a visit to the White House.

The awards, given by the Hispanic Heritage Foundation (HHF) in an annual leadership opportunity that features seven different categories, recognize academically successful Hispanic high school seniors who have shown commitment to their communities. Sallie Mae’s sponsorship of HHF’s Youth Awards "Leadership” category is part of the company’s commitment to helping students and families pay for college. The 2008 National Youth Awardees were selected from 10,000 applicants and more than 250 regional recipients from across the United States. In addition to the trip to Washington, D.C., Mendoza received educational grants of $8,000 and a laptop computer. In total, this year’s Youth Awardees received more than $500,000 in grants.

Mendoza graduated from Steele Canyon Charter High School, Spring Valley, Calif., where he held a 4.0 un-weighted and 4.7 weighted GPA. Of Mexican and Cuban descent, he was a College Board AP Scholar, seven-time San Diego Union-Tribune All-Academic Athlete, four-year honor roll student, National Youth Leadership Forum participant, and has earned eight varsity sports letters in football, soccer and track and field. As captain of several teams, he would often study late into the night after games in order to maintain his grades. The work paid off at the end of his senior year, when he received the Steele Canyon Scholar Athlete of the Year award and scholarship.

Mendoza co-founded the Steele Canyon Honor Society, where he assisted fellow students in their own pursuits of academic excellence. He also served as president of the Steele Canyon Humanitarian Relief Club, and takes yearly trips to Aragon, New Mexico, for community service activities. Although offered nine full-ride academic scholarships, Mendoza’s dream was to join his sister at Stanford, where he is majoring in business administration. He hopes to pursue a career in social-entrepreneurship and help aspiring small businesses in developing countries through micro-finance.

"The past four years have laid a foundation for the values and work ethic I will carry into the future,” Mendoza said. "What lies before me is the application of what I have learned, and with the help and support of my family, friends and community, I plan to never relent from my desire to make a difference in this world.”

Selection criteria included academic achievement, community service, category focus and leadership ability.

"Through the support of Sallie Mae, the ‘Leadership’ category allows us to celebrate the next generation of emerging Hispanic leaders,” said José Antonio Tijerino, HHF president and CEO. "These young leaders have demonstrated a high level of achievement in classrooms and communities across the country and are positioned as role models for their peers. They will be responsible for moving America forward.”

The success of the Youth Awards program is predicated by the support of thousands of high schools, community organizations, and business partners.

"We are proud to help young leaders like Nicolas pursue their dreams through a college education and build a future generation of leaders,” said Maria Frias of Sallie Mae. "Sallie Mae is committed to helping students find the resources they need to make their education dreams a reality.”

SLM Corporation (NYSE:SLM), commonly known as Sallie Mae, is the nation’s leading provider of saving- and paying-for-college programs. The company manages nearly $172 billion in education loans and serves 10 million student and parent customers. Through its Upromise affiliates, the company also manages more than $19 billion in 529 college-savings plans, and is a major, private source of college funding contributions in America with 9 million members and $450 million in member rewards. Sallie Mae and its subsidiaries offer debt management services as well as business and technical products to a range of business clients, including higher education institutions, student loan guarantors and state and federal agencies. More information is available at www.salliemae.com. SLM Corporation and its subsidiaries are not sponsored by or agencies of the United States of America.

About the Hispanic Heritage Youth Awards

The Hispanic Heritage Youth Awards were created 11 years ago to identify and promote the next generation of role models by celebrating their accomplishments in the classroom and community. The Youth Awardees are funneled into HHF’s LOFT (Latinos on Fast Track) workforce development program, a Speakers Bureau and the Mi Mentors program in an effort to put the young leaders in a position from which to lead. Please click www.HHFvideo.com for an introduction to HHF’s year-round mission.

The Hispanic Heritage Foundation, a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization, identifies, prepares, and positions Latino leaders in the community, classroom and workforce through national cultural, educational, and career development programs. For more information about the Hispanic Heritage Foundation, please visit www.HispanicHeritage.org.