ExxonMobil and Hispanic Heritage Foundation Names National Winner of Hispanic Heritage Youth Award in Engineering and Mathematics

Awards National Recipient with Educational Grant

KANSAS CITY, Mo.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

ExxonMobil and the Hispanic Heritage Foundation named Cynthia Reyna, a graduating student of Charles H. Milby High School in Houston, TX, as the national winner of the 2008 Hispanic Heritage Youth Awards in Engineering and Mathematics, an award sponsored by ExxonMobil. Reyna was honored for her outstanding accomplishments in engineering and mathematics during a ceremony in Kansas City, Mo.

Reyna was chosen for her many achievements in engineering and mathematics as well as for academic excellence and commitment to the community. In addition to the $3,000 scholarship she received as a regional winner, she was given a $5,000 educational grant, laptop computer and a trip to the National Youth Award presentation in Kansas City, Mo. In October, she will travel to the annual Hispanic Heritage Awards ceremony in Washington, D.C. Reyna will use the educational grants to study at Texas A&M University where she is majoring in civil engineering.

ExxonMobil has been the sponsor of the Engineering and Mathematics category for eight years and has contributed more than $1.2 million to HHYA. In addition to the educational grant Reyna will receive as the national winner, the company is also providing an additional $15,000 grant to be administered by the Hispanic Heritage Foundation to support her educational costs at Texas A&M University.

"ExxonMobil is proud to align its efforts with the Hispanic Heritage Foundation to promote young Hispanics to succeed in the science and engineering fields. Not only do we feel this is a critical concern, but it is also an honor to be a part of such a unique program that celebrates both culture and academics," said Gerald W. McElvy, president of the ExxonMobil Foundation.

"The young men and women we are honoring today are the future leaders of our nation so it is our responsibility to help them attain higher educational achievements and to help prepare them to be successful in their chosen field of interest. We congratulate the national award recipients and look forward to hearing the great things they will accomplish in the future."

Of Mexican descent, Reyna is an AP Scholar with Honors, High Honor Roll Student, a two-time Science Fair 1st Place Winner, and the recipient of 2nd Place in the Science Bowl Competition. She is also a recipient of the United Space Alliance/MAES Pre-engineering Scholarship. Active in her community, Reyna helps residents complete paperwork at the U.S. Citizenship Workshop, and has volunteered numerous hours in the Raul Yzaguirre School for Success' technology department. Last summer, Reyna formed part of the Houston A+ Summer Internship program for the Baylor College of Medicine where she was able to conduct scientific research on cisplatin-induced toxicities. Furthermore, she served as an intern for the Institute of Orthopedic Research at the Methodist center. She is also a USA/MAES scholar, recipient of the Phi Beta Kappa and the Jesse H. Jones Scholarship.

"I'm thrilled and honored to receive this prestigious award from ExxonMobil and the Hispanic Heritage Foundation," said Reyna. "My Mexican heritage is a source of pride, strength and motivation to succeed. I attribute all my determination and success to my family."

Earlier this year, the Hispanic Heritage Youth Awards program presented educational grants to 252 Hispanic high school seniors in 12 regions: Chicago, Dallas, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New York City, Northern California, Philadelphia, Phoenix, San Antonio, San Diego and Washington, DC. During regional ceremonies, students were awarded in the following areas of accomplishment: Academic Excellence, Business, Engineering and Mathematics, Education, Leadership, Journalism and Sports.

Award recipients were chosen by regional selection committees based on their academic achievement, community service, category focus and an essay about the important role their heritage played upon their success.

About the Hispanic Heritage Youth Awards:

In 1998, the Hispanic Heritage Youth Awards (HHYA) were created to identify and promote the next generation of role models by celebrating their accomplishments in the classroom and community. In its eleventh year, this national leadership program annually provides more than 200 students with $650,000 in educational grants in 12 regions. These young leaders are promoted as role models for their peers and selected to serve in the new Speakers Bureau where they visit their neighborhoods, schools and community centers and inspire other youth to achieve. With the Youth Awards as a feeder program, the LOFT (Latinos on Fast Track) initiative was launched in 2004 to systematically develop sustainable relationships between to Hispanic young professionals who have been awarded and America's workforce.

The Hispanic Heritage Foundation (HHF) celebrates and promotes Hispanic pride, culture, accomplishment and leadership through national and regional educational and inspirational programs focusing on putting Hispanics in a position from which to lead.

About Exxon Mobil Corporation

Exxon Mobil Corporation is a leading international energy company whose subsidiaries have operations in most of the world's countries. In the United States, ExxonMobil has significant exploration and production, refining and marketing and chemicals operations. ExxonMobil is one of the largest oil and gas producers and reserves holders in the United States, with a portfolio including Alaska, onshore Gulf Coast and deepwater Gulf of Mexico. In addition, there are approximately 13,000 Exxon and Mobil branded service stations in the U.S., as well as seven refineries, four of which are integrated petrochemical facilities. For more information about ExxonMobil, please visit the company's website at www.exxonmobil.com.

Source: Exxon Mobil Corporation

Released July 9, 2008