February 15th Deadline Nears for Carolina®, Mahatma® and Riceland® Rice Scholarships

Riviana Foods Inc. announced today that the application deadline for its Carolina, Mahatma and Riceland Rice Scholarships is February 15, 2007. The company will provide scholarships in the amount of $2,000 to 27 outstanding high school seniors in the metro areas of New York/New Jersey, Los Angeles, Chicago, San Francisco/San Jose and Miami.

Houston, TX (PRWeb) February 2, 2007 -- Riviana Foods Inc. announced today that the application deadline for its Carolina, Mahatma and Riceland Rice Scholarships is February 15, 2007. The company will provide scholarships in the amount of $2,000 to 27 outstanding high school seniors in the metro areas of New York/New Jersey, Los Angeles, Chicago, San Francisco/San Jose and Miami.

Nationwide, Riviana, along with program partner Univision Radio Network, will award $54,000 in educational scholarships during special award ceremonies honoring the students and their families in May 2007.

"Each year we are extremely impressed by the caliber and maturity of the scholarship applicants," said Alfredo J. Gomez, senior product manager for Mahatma and Carolina Rice. In the past 19 years, Riviana Foods has awarded more than $500,000 in scholarships to 243 students who are earning or have earned college degrees. Recipients have attended such institutions as Dartmouth, Stanford, Brigham Young University, UCLA, USC, University of California at Berkley, M.I.T., Rice University and the University of Miami.

"For many families, a college education is one of the largest financial investments they will ever make," said Gomez, who has been directing the scholarship program for the past 18 years. "We urge parents, teachers and counselors to encourage seniors to apply for scholarship funds such as those offered by Carolina, Mahatma and Riceland Rice to help offset higher education expenditures."

To apply, students must complete an application and write an essay of 150 to 250 words, in English or Spanish. This year's essay topic is "Explain the personal challenges, other than financial, you expect to overcome in college." Twenty finalists in each market will be chosen from the essays submitted. A panel of judges will interview finalists and select five winners (six in Chicago and Miami), based on conciseness, content, originality and grammar.

Application Information

Students can obtain information about the Carolina, Mahatma and Riceland Rice Scholarship Program three ways:

•    By visiting www.carolinarice.com/scholarship (for those in the New York and New Jersey Metro Area), www.mahatmarice.com/scholarship (for those residing in the Los Angeles, Miami, San Francisco and San Jose Metro Areas), or www.ricelandrice.com/scholarship (for those in the Chicago Metro Area); or

•    By requesting application forms for the Carolina, Mahatma or Riceland Rice Scholarship program from their college advisor; or

•    By contacting Univision radio stations in the New York/New Jersey, Los Angeles, Chicago, Miami, San Francisco and San Jose Metro Areas.

Carolina, Mahatma and Riceland Rice also offer a downloadable guide on "How to Write a Winning Essay" at all of the above mentioned websites.

Scholarship Guidelines

Eligible students must be high school seniors currently attending a high school in the metro areas of New York/New Jersey, Los Angeles, Chicago, Miami and San Francisco/San Jose. Essays of 150 to 250 words, typed or printed clearly, may be submitted in English or Spanish and will be judged on conciseness, creativity, originality and grammar.

Essays and completed application forms must be sent by regular mail only (no certified mail, email or overnight services) and postmarked no later than February 15, 2007 to: The Carolina, Mahatma and Riceland Rice Scholarship Program, 75-22 37th Avenue, #224 Jackson Heights, NY 11372.

Based in Houston, Texas, Riviana Foods Inc. (www.riviana.com) is one of the largest processors, marketers and distributors of branded and private label rice products in the United States. Principal brands include Mahatma®, Success®, Minute®, Carolina®, WaterMaid®, River®, S & W® and Gourmet House®. Riviana is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Ebro Puleva, S.A., the leading Spanish food group, with interests in sugar, dairy, rice and pasta products. Ebro Puleva's brands include Puleva® dairy products; Azucarera® sugar; La Cigala®, Brilliante®, and Nomen® rice brands and Panzani® pasta, as well as New World Pasta Company pasta products, including Ronzoni®, San Giorgio®, American Beauty®, Healthy Harvest®, Skinner®, Prince®, Creamette® and Catelli® brands.    

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