Eleven High School Graduates Named Arch Coal Scholars
ST. LOUIS (May 9, 2007) - The Arch Coal Foundation today announced that 11 graduating high school seniors have been chosen as 2007 Arch Coal Scholars. The Arch Coal Scholars program honors outstanding scholastic achievement by the children of employees of Arch Coal and its subsidiaries. Each scholar will receive a $1,500 scholarship to an accredited college or university for up to four years.
"Our scholarship program has benefited students from the families of our employees since the formation of Arch Coal 10 years ago," said Steven F. Leer, Arch Coal's chairman and chief executive officer. "We're pleased to support the continuing education of these students. We're confident that this year's scholarship recipients will continue to provide leadership both inside and outside the classroom, ultimately making our communities better places to live."
This year's Arch Coal Scholars are:
| Kimberly Anderson | Daughter of Jeffrey and Cheryl Anderson | Gunnison, Utah |
| Dustin Blankenship | Son of Alfred and Regina Blankenship | Baisden, W.Va. |
| Ryan Brewer | Son of Rick and Stephanie Derifield | Louisa, Ky. |
| Heather Graffius | Daughter of Robert and Regina Graffius | Madison, W.Va. |
| Heather Hall | Daughter of Randall and Tammy Hall | Williamson, W.Va. |
| Tyler Honey | Son of Robert and Robyn Honey | Upton, Wyo. |
| Jill Lansden | Daughter of Lanny and Gayle Lansden | Chapmanville, W.Va. |
| Tiffany Larsen | Daughter of Dwayne Larsen | Wellington, Utah |
| Jessica Miller | Daughter of Jim and Angela Miller | Crawford, Colo. |
| Kayleigh Schaefer | Daughter of Greg and Lori Schaefer | Gillette, Wyo. |
| Christopher Vicini | Son of Jim and Kathleen Vicini | Cumberland, Ky. |
Arch Coal Scholars are selected on the basis of academic record, potential to succeed, leadership and participation in school and community activities, honors, a statement of educational and career goals, work experience, and an outside appraisal. Scholarships are renewed on the basis of grade point average.
Arch Coal Scholar Heather Graffius achieved top recognition as the 2007 Kendra Bradley Washburn Memorial Scholarship recipient. This special scholarship was added in 2004 in memory of Kendra "Kerri" Bradley Washburn, the late daughter of Arch Coal Director Robert G. Potter.
"Through the Arch Coal Scholars Program, we hope to encourage excellence among high school students and help lay the foundation for a lifetime of success," said Leer. "We consider these scholarships a wise investment in America's future."
Scholarship America, the nation's largest private sector scholarship and educational support organization, administers all aspects of the scholarship competition for the Arch Coal Foundation, including the independent selection process.
Arch Coal is a long-time supporter of educational excellence. In addition to the Arch Coal Scholars program that was originally introduced by a predecessor company in 1989, the Coal Foundation also supports teaching excellence through its annual Arch Coal Teacher Achievement Awards program in West Virginia, Wyoming and Utah.
St. Louis-based Arch Coal (NYSE:ACI) is one of the nation's largest coal producers. Through its subsidiary operations in Wyoming, Colorado, Utah, West Virginia, Kentucky and Virginia, Arch provides the fuel for approximately 6 percent of the electricity generated in the United States.
Editor's note: Student biographies and photographs are available upon request.