BMW Invests in Hispanic Youth of South Carolina with Five-Year Hispanic Scholarship Fund Program 

Visionary corporate scholarship program will award 20 Hispanic youth
with a ladder of career support

SAN FRANCISCO, CA November 25, 2008 - The Hispanic Scholarship Fund (HSF), the nation’s leading organization supporting Hispanic higher education, announced it has received a multi-year commitment from the BMW Manufacturing Co. to invest in 20 exemplary Latino scholars over the next five years from South Carolina.  The first four scholars to receive awards are: Morgan Reina Fernandez of Spartanburg, Laurie Angeli Gueitz of Myrtle Beach, Christopher Hayden Hutchings of Inman, and Gabriel Charles Segarra of Tega Cay.

The HSF/BMW Manufacturing Scholarship Program is a forward-thinking,  academic initiative given the stark reality of today’s Latino youth in higher education.  The latest U.S. Census figures prove that Latinos make up the largest ethnic portion of the general population. However, the percentage of Latinos attaining a college degree is far lower than most other ethnicities.[1] The HSF/BMW Manufacturing Scholarship Program is a career-focused scholarship to open the minds of these students.  Should their majors fit with BMWs workforce needs, they will be considered for internships and future job placement opportunities. 

The BMW Manufacturing Co. jointly embraces the responsibility with HSF to create a path of academic success and career stepping stones to help Latino students excel in the classroom and in the boardroom.  “Education and diversity are important focuses for BMW Manufacturing,” said Robert Hitt, Department Manager for Public Affairs at BMW Manufacturing Co. “We are pleased to partner with the Hispanic Scholarship Fund to help  Latino youths in South Carolina gain a college education. We congratulate these first four winners of the HSF/BMW Manufacturing Scholarship and wish them much success as they embark on their college careers.”

"BMW’s investment in HSF demonstrates its commitment to improving access to higher education for Latino youth,” said Frank D. Alvarez, President & CEO of HSF. “We appreciate BMW’s  willingness to invest in Hispanic youth through HSF and join us in our work to increase the rate of Hispanics earning a college degree.”

Hispanic Scholarship Fund
Founded in 1975 as a not-for-profit, the Hispanic Scholarship Fund (HSF) is the nation's preeminent Latino scholarship organization, providing the Latino community more college scholarships and educational outreach support than any other organization in the country. During the 2007-2008 academic year, HSF awarded nearly 4,100 scholarships exceeding $26.8 million. In its 33-year history, HSF has awarded in excess of 86,000 scholarships, worth more than $250 million, to Latinos attending nearly 2,000 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.

BMW Manufacturing Co. LLC
BMW Manufacturing Co. is an integral part of BMW Group's international production network and is BMW's only factory in the United States.   The X5 Sports Activity Vehicle and the X6 Sports Activity Coupe are built exclusively at the Upstate South Carolina factory for distribution to 124 markets worldwide.    BMW has invested $3.7 billion in the 2.4 million-square-foot plant located on 1,150 acres in Spartanburg County, created 5,400 jobs and is in the midst of a three-year, $750 million expansion.