HOUSTON, Sept. 6 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Reliant Energy today
announced the eight Houston-area high school student athletes who will each
receive a $1,000 scholarship as part of the company's Scholarship for
Champions -- Powering Strong Minds and Bodies program.
"The scholarship winners have each demonstrated exceptional leadership
skills in academics and athletics," said Tracy Carmen-Jones, vice
president, Reliant Energy Community Marketing. "We are thrilled to
recognize these eight deserving student athletes and to help them achieve
the goals they have set out to accomplish on and off the field."
The scholarship recipients are Denzil Bell, James Madison High School;
Onyekachi Ezirike, Hightower High School; Erin Jackson, Stratford High
School; Adrian Maldonado, Galena Park High School; Holly Moreno, Pearland
High School; Ian Osei-Kuffor, Alief Hastings High School; Kortnee Danielle
Pevehouse, Clear Creek High School; and Tyler Jared Teykl, B.F. Terry High
School.
The scholarship recipients were selected by Reliant Energy and the
Houston Texans. Each recipient had to be in good academic standing and
display leadership and ethics to be considered for the scholarship.
Each scholarship recipient will receive a surprise visit at their
respective school by a Houston Texans player who will present the winner
with a check in front of all their classmates. The scholarship recipients
also will have an opportunity to participate in a pre-game on-field
presentation at a Texans game during the season. They also will be honored
at the Houston Texans Draft Luncheon, where Houston Texans players are
recognized.
BIOS OF THE RELIANT ENERGY SCHOLARSHIP FOR CHAMPIONS RECIPIENTS
Denzil Bell
Bell is a three-year member of the varsity football team at James
Madison High School, where he plays running back. He participated in the
Research and Policy Institute of California leadership conference and is
recognized by the J.C. Watts Foundation as a leader. Bell also volunteered
with the Texans' youth ability camp, is a mentor to freshmen classmates and
is actively involved in school fund-raising events.
Onyekachi Ezirike
Ezirike is a member of the track team and is starting outside
linebacker on the football team at Hightower High School. He organized a
Saturday morning tutoring program for his football team, participated in
Walk for the Cure, worked with the ACT-SO Dream Kids program and the Books
for Kids program. Ezirike is currently vice president of the Houston Branch
NAACP (National Association for the Advancement of Colored People) youth
council and a National Junior Honor Society member.
Erin Jackson
Jackson is a varsity volleyball, basketball and softball player at
Stratford High School and has been elected team captain of all three teams.
She was Second Team All-District for softball two years in a row. Jackson
worked in several anti-alcohol and drug programs, as well as mentored
underclassmen and mentally disabled students. She has served as officer for
the Academy of Finance Business Professionals of America, Stratford High
School Girl's Class President four years in a row and treasurer of the
Fellowship of Christian Athletes.
Adrian Maldonado
Maldonado is a member of the Galena Park High School varsity football
and track teams. He was voted team captain of the football team two years
in a row and is president of his Track Class Council. Maldonado is on
target to graduate as the school's Salutatorian, is treasurer of the
National Honor Society and was a Texas Boys' State 2007 participant.
Holly Moreno
Moreno is a member of the Pearland High School varsity volleyball team.
As a middle hitter, she was selected to the 24-5A First Team All-District
as a sophomore, with Honorable Mention as a freshman. Moreno also made the
24-5A All-District Academic team two years in a row and is ranked third in
the state with her Junior Olympic volleyball team. She is a member of the
National Honor Society and participates in local food drives each year.
Ian Osei-Kuffor
Osei-Kuffor is a varsity football player at Alief Hastings High School
where he plays wide receiver/defensive back. He was recently voted team
captain of this year's football team. Osei-Kuffor was a member of the 2007
regional qualifying 4x100- and 4x200-meter relay teams for track and field
where he helped set a new school record in the 4x200 meter relay. He is
also involved in community food drives and serves as an assistant Sunday
School Instructor at Brookhollow Baptist Church. Last year, Osei-Kuffor
exhibited exemplary leadership when he came to the aide of a fellow female
student who was being abused by another male. He intervened and defused the
incident until the authorities arrived.
Kortnee Danielle Pevehouse
Pevehouse is a member of the varsity basketball team for Clear Creek
High School. She was selected team captain by her teammates and represented
the junior class for Girls' State. Pevehouse placed second in the Houston
Rockets 3-point shooting contest and first in the Houston Chronicle Free
Throws for Class 5A. She has volunteered for CLEAR (a drug-free program),
Red Ribbon and UTMB Children's Hospital.
Tyler Jared Teykl
Teykl is a varsity football, basketball, and track and field athlete at
B.F. Terry High School and has been elected team captain of all three
teams. He was also the bronze medalist in the Lone Star Kick Challenge.
Teykl is currently No. 1 in his class and serves as president of the Terry
High School Class Council. He is a three-year member of the First United
Methodist Youth Group Leadership Council and an officer in Fellowship of
Christian Athletes.
About the Houston Texans Foundation: The mission of the Houston Texans
Foundation is to encourage and enable all youth and families in Houston and
the surrounding area to reach their full potential and to achieve success.
The Houston Texans Foundation raises funds for five primary charities (Boys
and Girls Country, Child Advocates, The Health Museum, Juvenile Diabetes
Research Foundation, and Rebuilding Together Houston) and administers
programs that promote leadership, integrity and character through its
earned ticket programs, Heart of a Champion Character Education Program and
NFL programs that recognize volunteers.
About Reliant Energy, Inc.: Reliant Energy, Inc. (NYSE: RRI), based in
Houston, provides electricity and energy services to retail and wholesale
customers in the United States. In Texas, the company provides service to
approximately 1.9 million retail electricity customers, including
residential and small business customers and large commercial, industrial,
governmental and institutional customers.
Reliant also serves commercial, industrial, governmental and
institutional customers in the PJM (Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Maryland)
market. The company is one of the largest independent power producers in
the nation with approximately 16,000 megawatts of power generation capacity
across the United States. These strategically located generating assets
utilize natural gas, fuel oil and coal. For more information, visit
http://www.reliant.com.
SOURCE Reliant Energy, Inc.
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Related links:
http://www.reliant.com/
CONTACT:
Pat Hammond of Reliant Energy,
+1-713-497-7723
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