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January 25, 2005
Guardian Presents Fifth Annual Girls Going Places Scholarship Program
NEW YORK, January 25, 2005 — The Guardian Life Insurance Company of America (Guardian) announced that today marks the final four weeks of the 2005 Girls Going Places® Scholarship Program nomination period. Guardian began accepting nominations in September for its national competition, which recognizes and rewards entrepreneurial girls. Guardian designed the annual program to reward entrepreneurial and community-minded girls between the ages of 12 and 18.
Entries will be accepted through February 25, 2005. Scholarships will be presented to each winner within their respective communities, among their peers.
Guardian and Girls Going Places® will award 15 girls a total of $30,000 to be used toward furthering their education and supporting their entrepreneurial pursuits. Three top scholarship prizes of $10,000, $5,000 and $3,000 and 12 finalist prizes of $1,000 each will be granted. Adults are asked to nominate girls - who could be their daughter, niece, neighbor or student - by submitting a 750 to 1,000-word essay on why the nominee deserves a Girls Going Places® award. A panel of judges will review the essays and pick finalists that:
 | Demonstrate budding entrepreneurship and/or financial acumen; |
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| Have taken the first steps toward financial independence; |
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| Make a difference in their school or community; |
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| Show potential for future success by initiating a new business. |
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"One in eleven women in the United States today is a business owner, contributing more than $2 trillion in revenues to the economy," said Emily Viner, Director of Agency Distribution & Development, Individual Markets, Guardian, New York. "Guardian created Girls Going Places" to educate young women about the financial and entrepreneurial opportunities available to them. We want to recognize their accomplishments and help prepare them for the future."
During the 2004 Program, Guardian received more than 2,000 nominations. Last year's first prizewinner, Laima Tazmin, founded LAVT LLC, a web consulting company that helps small businesses, professionals, artists and young entrepreneurs bring their businesses online, guiding them through web review, information architecture, dynamic programming, templating and Internet marketing.
The Girls Going Places® Scholarship Program anchors Guardian's Women's Initiative, which was established to help Guardian capture opportunities in the women's marketplace by positioning Guardian as a company that promotes financial independence and business ownership for women. Guardian is a National Patron Level sponsor of the National Association of Women Business Owners (NAWBO), which in 2005 will partially underwrite the Girls Going Places® scholarships. In addition, Guardian has renewed its relationship with Women in Insurance and Financial Services (WIFS), a national organization that supports the advancement of women in financial services. Additional information on the scholarship program and nomination forms for the competition can be found at: www.girlsgoingplaces.com.
About Guardian
Founded in 1860, The Guardian Life Insurance Company of America, New York, NY (Guardian) is the fourth largest mutual life insurance company in the United States. As of December 31, 2003, Guardian and its subsidiaries had $37.2 billion in assets. With more than 5,000 employees, over 2,800 financial representatives and nearly 100 agencies nationwide, Guardian and its subsidiaries protect individuals, businesses and their employees with life, disability, health and dental insurance products, and offer 401(k), financial products and trust services. More information on Guardian can be obtained at: www.GuardianLife.com.
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