BEAUMONT, TX – It wasn’t that long ago that the United States and the world were collectively shocked by the terrorist events of Sept. 11. In the days and months following, many employees at Entergy expressed the desire to do something…anything…to help rebuild the lives of the impacted families.

Entergy, along with Exelon Corporation of Chicago, co-founded The Power of America Fund to ensure future educational assistance to the surviving children of the victims of the September 11 terrorist attacks. Other power companies, company employees and individual electricity customers nationwide were invited to join in the effort. In addition to the collective workforces of both founding companies, others to join in the effort included:

In addition, noted jewelry designer Mignon Faget, donated 10 percent of the sales of certain designs purchased through the end of 2001 to the Fund.

Today, the Fund stands at over $3 million and in honor of the 227th birthday of America, and in demonstration of the resolve of the nation, the first recipients of The Power of America Scholarships have been announced:

The 35 recipients, each receiving $1,000 scholarships, are:

US Air Flight #93

Christopher Beaven, Political Science/Economics,

Loyola Marymount University

US Air Flight #175

Meghan Corcoran,Anthropology, Assumption College

Pentagon

Shantell Fields,Film and Video, Full Sail Real World Education

World Trade Center

Ayitey Aryee,Mechanical Engineering,New York Institute of Technology

Carla Bacchus, Business/Biology,Fairleigh Dickinson University

Alejandrina Behagen, Health, Monroe College

Devora Biegelaisen, Judaic Studies, Neva Yerushalayim Institution

Anne Carriker-Weinstein, English, Wesleyan University

Grace Chiang, History/Political Science, University of California, Berkeley

Christine Colon, Business, Villanova University

Denise Coughlan, Psychology, Arizona State University

Brian Eisenberg, Business, Yeshiva University

Amanda Gregory, Human Factors, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University

Christopher Hagis, Computer Science, Wagner College

Leonard Hatton III, Business/Accounting/Finance, Fordham University

Jeffrey Hemschoot, Marketing, Fairleigh Dickinson University

Vandna Jain, Graphic Design, Rochester Institute of Technology

William Meehan III, Business/Finance, University of Kentucky

Suzanna Mermer, Mass Communications/Advertising, University of South Florida

Eric Mermer, Pre-Med, Johns Hopkins University

Stephen Orloske, English, Goucher College

Kristin Palazzo, Liberal Arts, St. Michael’s College

Joseph Perrotta, Chemistry, Franklin and Marshall College

Michael Puckett, Business, Suffolk University

Geoffrey Robson, History, Long Island University

Karl Smith Jr., History, East Carolina University

James Smithwick, History, Amherst College

Joshua Steuerman, Pre-Med, Lehigh University

Donnie Taylor, Accounting, Morehouse College

Stefania Zois, Physician Assistant Program, St. John’s University

World Trade Center/Port Authority

Ryan Darcy, History, College of the Holy Cross

World Trade Center/Police Department

Clinton Davis Jr., Undecided, Southwest Texas State University

Meredith Kaulfers, Undecided, University of Delaware

World Trade Center/ Fire Department

Jessica Fiore, Communications/Business, Boston College

Christine Modafferi, Education, Monmouth University

“Nothing is going to bring back those heroes who lost their lives in the tragic events of September 11 or end the very personal loss their loved ones still experience on a daily basis. In some small way, we can lessen the impact by helping to assure what may well have been one of the last wishes of the victims; that their surviving children are taken care of; in particular, not cut-off from the opportunities of higher education,” said J. Wayne Leonard, Entergy’s chief executive officer. “It is our hope that these scholarships will not only provide needed financial assistance, but also remind the families of the victims that they have not been, nor will ever be, forgotten.”

For more information on how to apply for a scholarship or make a donation to The Power of America Fund, contact:

Scholarship America

1505 Riverview Rd.

St. Peter, Minn 56082

(800) 537-4180

Entergy Corporation is an integrated energy company engaged primarily in electric power production, retail distribution operations, energy marketing and trading, and gas transportation. Entergy owns and operates power plants with about 30,000 megawatts of electric generating capacity, and it is the second-largest nuclear generator in the United States. Entergy delivers electricity to 2.6 million utility customers in Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas. Through Entergy-Koch, LP, it is also a leading provider of wholesale energy marketing and trading services, as well as an operator of natural gas pipeline and storage facilities. Entergy has annual revenues of over $8 billion and more than 15,000 employees.