NEWS RELEASE

For Immediate Release:
May 26, 2009

HOUSTON JUNIOR ACHIEVEMENT STUDENT RECEIVES
NATIONAL SCHOLARSHIP

Houston, TX – Junior Achievement announced today that Brittany Wang, an 18-year-old student from Langham Creek High School in Houston, Texas, has been awarded the Hugh B. Sweeny Achievement Award by the Achievement Foundation, Inc.

The Sweeny scholarship - $5,000 towards tuition costs at any accredited college or university - is awarded annually to a graduating high school senior who has completed JA Company Program™ or JA Economics™, which are two of Junior Achievement's entrepreneurship, work readiness, and financial literacy programs. JA Company Program provides high school students with basic economic education and knowledge of business structure and skills through organizing and operating an actual business enterprise. JA Economics reinforces the concepts of micro- and macro- economics by having students explore the basic characteristics of the U.S. economic system, the economic principles that influence business decisions, and career opportunities. The scholarship recipient must demonstrate academic achievement, leadership skills and financial need, and show how he or she has impacted a community through entrepreneurship.

Brittany has earned an impressive 4.0 grade point average and is ranked first in her graduating class. She served as vice president of the Biology Club, and became vice president of the National Honor Society and historian for the Model United Nations. Participating in Junior Achievement throughout her high school career, she served as vice president of public relations for her JA Company in her junior year and was elected president in her senior year.

Brittany also has demonstrated a strong commitment to community volunteerism. She was an active member of the Interact Club, an organization that promotes diversity and acceptance. She volunteers at Texas Children's Hospital and tutors K-12 reading at the Copperfield Kumon Tutoring Center.

This fall, Brittany will attend the University of Texas at Austin, majoring in business finance. She plans to start her own medical practice one day. The recommendation letters submitted with Brittany's scholarship application praise her leadership ability, dedication, self-motivation, work excellence and organizational and mentoring skills.

"Brittany's success powerfully demonstrates the impact that Junior Achievement programs can have on a young person's life," said Rick Franke, president of Junior Achievement of Southeast Texas. "The skills that students like Brittany learn-such as leadership, problem-solving, and teamwork-will serve them well. We are thrilled to help her achieve her goal of a college education through the Sweeny Award."

Brittany added, "I'm honored to be named as a 2009 winner of the Sweeny Award. As I graduate from high school and begin college, I know that I will continually draw upon the valuable knowledge that I gained from Junior Achievement programs, and that it will motivate me to continue to strive for excellence."

The Hugh B. Sweeny Achievement Award is named after Hugh B. "Jim" Sweeny, who served Junior Achievement for 32 years. His major accomplishments include expanding the National Junior Achievers Conference from 60 participants in 1948 to more that 3,000 delegates in 1977. The Sweeny Award is presented by the Achievement Foundation, Inc., a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping young people develop a better understanding of the free enterprise system.

About JA Worldwide® (JA)
Junior Achievement is the world's largest organization dedicated to inspiring and preparing young people to succeed in a global economy. Through a dedicated volunteer network, Junior Achievement provides in-school and after-school programs for students which focus on three key content areas: work readiness, entrepreneurship, and financial literacy. Today, 135 individual area operations reach more than four million students in the United States, with an additional five million students served by operations in 123 other countries worldwide. For more information, visit  www.ja.org.

About The Achievement Foundation, Inc.
The Achievement Foundation, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to developing a better understanding of the free enterprise system by young people. In addition to making scholarships, the Foundation gives grants and loans to other nonprofit organizations which provide economic education to young people. For more information, visit www.achievementfoundation.org.

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