May 9, 2003

PITTSBURGH - Aliquippa High School senior, Olivia Benson knows a thing or two about getting ahead. The college-bound student was recently selected as this years first place winner of Dominion's annual Award of Achievement Collegiate Grant competition.

Olivia, who is ranked number one in her class, will receive a $3,000 first place grant. Dominion's Award of Achievement grant program was established in 1989 and has since awarded over $70,000 in grants to African American students in pursuit of higher education.

Some of the activities that Olivia participates include: member of the National Honor Society, SADD (Students Against Drunk Driving), Spanish Club, editor of her yearbook committee, and captain of the girl's basketball and track teams. Olivia is planning to attend the University of Pennsylvania to major in either Biomedical or Chemical Engineering.

The other 2003 winners are:

• Quindelyn S. Cook - winner of the $2,000 second place grant. Quindelyn is a senior at Greensburg Salem High School located in Greensburg, Pa.
• Kevan M. Matthews - winner of the $1,000 third place grant. Kevan is a senior at Woodland Hills High School located in Churchill, Pa.

The winners were selected from a field of 35 applicants throughout southwestern Pennsylvania. From those, an independent review committee chose five finalists based on academic profile, letters of recommendation and a personal interview.

Dominion is one of the nation's largest producers of energy, with a diversified and integrated energy portfolio that includes 24,000 megawatts of generation and 6.1 trillion cubic feet equivalent of proved natural gas reserves. Dominion also serves 5 million retail energy customers in nine states. For more information about Dominion, visit the company's Web site at www.dom.com.

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