Hispanic Youth Soar to New Heights With Southwest Airlines

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Southwest Airlines Is the Official Airline of the Hispanic Heritage Youth Awards

DALLAS, June 29 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Southwest Airlines (NYSE:LUV) -- the official airline of the Hispanic Heritage Youth Awards -- continues helping Hispanic youth achieve educational success. As part of Southwest's sponsorship, Southwest Airlines flies the national winners of the Hispanic Heritage Youth Awards, along with their parents, to the National Youth Awards Ceremony in Miami and the Hispanic Heritage Awards in Washington, D.C., in September. Additionally, the winners will receive a trip home on behalf of Southwest during their first year in college.

"What better way to honor the students' success than by flying them and their parents to the celebrations," said Laura Lopez, Senior Multicultural Promotions Specialist. "Southwest enjoys recognizing these outstanding students as they takeoff to pursue their college education."

The carrier supports the Hispanic Heritage Youth Awards' mission to identify and celebrate the next generation of role models by promoting academics and community involvement. Each year, regional and national winners are selected in six categories: Academic Excellence, Journalism, Healthcare, Community Service, Engineering and Mathematics, and Sports. Southwest Airlines serves 11 cities where the regional winners are selected.

Recently, Southwest Airlines announced the "Dandole Alas a Tu Exito/Giving Flight to Your Success," the first college student travel award program, in partnership with the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities (HACU). Through this new initiative, Southwest Airlines will provide tickets for distribution to students with socio-economic need and who travel away from home to pursue a higher education. Each student will be eligible for the Lanzate! Premio Universitario/Take Off! Higher Education Award consisting of up to two (2) roundtrip tickets for the student and/or parent traveling to/from the university. To be eligible, the student must apply online at http://www.hacu.net/ and meet the following criteria:

* Must be a student in good standing at a two- or four-year college or
university;
* A 2.5 or higher GPA;
* All majors are eligible to apply;
* Applications must be completed online by July 15, 2005; and
* 300-500 word essay using good writing skills to answer one or more of
the following questions:
-- What are your challenges in working toward higher education?
-- If you could have someone travel with you to your college or
university, who would that be and why?
-- How do you believe that obtaining air travel to the university
would benefit you and your family?

Southwest Airlines was recognized by HISPANIC Magazine for the 2005 Hispanic Corporate 100. The award focuses on Southwest Airlines' Leadership in providing opportunities for Hispanics and for supporting recruitment, scholarships, minority vendor programs, and Hispanic organizations.

Southwest Airlines, the nation's largest carrier in terms of domestic passengers enplaned, currently serves 60 airports in 31 states. Based in Dallas, Southwest currently operates nearly 3,000 flights a day and has 31,000+ Employees systemwide.

http://www.southwest.com/

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