H.I.P. Teens Wanted For $10,000 Scholarships

Nineteen-year-old Eunice Kang has her eye on the White House. She should; this University of Southern California (USC) freshman maintained a 4.0 grade point average in high school, was president of the student council and National Honor Society, president/founder of the General Federation of Women Club - and never once smoked a cigarette.

Eunice's dedication to academics, leadership and commitment to not smoking paid off when she was selected as one of last year's 10 TeenH.I.P. (Teens Helping Influence People(R)) Awards winners and received a $10,000 college scholarship. Now in its third year, the TeenH.I.P. Awards will offer 10 more scholarships worth $10,000 each to kids who are academic stars, active in their school and community and who don't smoke.

What is TeenH.I.P?

TeenH.I.P, a program sponsored by Lorillard Tobacco Company's Youth Smoking Prevention Program, rewards teens that choose not to smoke with scholarships. The search is on for well-rounded kids, ages 13-18, who exhibit leadership capabilities, are committed to extra-curricular activities, maintain good grades and do not smoke.

"Lorillard is 100 percent committed to significantly reducing teen smoking and we are extremely pleased to be awarding The TeenH.I.P. Awards to extraordinary individuals, like Eunice Kang," said Steve Watson, vice president, external affairs, Lorillard Tobacco Company. "We continue to be amazed that more than 30,000 students have applied for scholarships through our program over the past three years. We will look forward to continuing this program as a way to make more teens aware of our nationwide effort to ultimately reward those kids who act as role models for their peers through their commitment to an active lifestyle and not smoking."

The Awards is just one way TeenH.I.P. recognizes kids for staying smoke free; this year, 10 teens were awarded $10,000 grants to create or support a youth smoking prevention program with their school or local community organization, thanks to the Teen.H.I.P. Grant Program. Cool News, another program sponsored by TeenH.I.P., recently granted a Downs, Kansas student $5,000 in computer equipment and services for his school for writing an article on youth smoking prevention.

Good Things Happen When Kids Don't Smoke...

TeenH.I.P. Award winner Eunice knows the rewards of maintaining good grades, demonstrating leadership and not smoking.

"TeenH.I.P. helped me so much in seeing the big picture and gave me the opportunity to pursue other interests in college," says Eunice. "I am taking summer classes and staying active in the student associations at USC. Overall, it's been a great year."

As a college freshman, Eunice has lived true to the TeenH.I.P. style; she served as vice president of Trojan Pride, the official USC spirit committee, and chairperson of Mr. And Ms. USC, a committee that helps chose the students who best represent the USC campus - all while maintaining a 3.92 grade point average.

Applying is Just a Click Away!

Applying for a TeenH.I.P. Award has never been easier. This year, kids are encouraged to visit www.buttoutnow.com to fill out and submit an application on-line. The entry deadline is November 15, 2002, and winners will be notified in February 2003. Official rules, entry criteria, and further information on other TeenH.I.P. programs are available on the buttoutnow Web site.

The TeenH.I.P. Awards is part of Lorillard Tobacco Company's voluntary Youth Smoking Prevention Program. The program is a corporate commitment to address the problem of underage smoking on a national scale with initiatives directed at three influence areas: peer pressure, parental influence and retail access. The effort includes national advertising, grass roots communications, retail employee training and signage to discourage youth access to tobacco products.