AutoNation, H. Wayne Huizenga Pledge Significant Investment to Create NSU Business Scholarship Program for Disadvantaged Students

NSU's Pathway Scholars Program will provide scholarships and internships for disadvantaged students

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla., Dec. 13, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- AutoNation, Inc. (NYSE: AN) and Marti and Wayne Huizenga recently pledged significant founding gifts to create Pathway Scholars, a new community-focused scholarship program at Nova Southeastern University's (NSU) H. Wayne Huizenga School of Business and Entrepreneurship (HSBE). The Pathway Scholars program will benefit students who are financially and otherwise disadvantaged. The Huizenga Business School has developed a partnership with Take Stock in Children (TSIC) to help select students for the program.

The pledge was announced at the AutoNation Tower in Fort Lauderdale on Monday, Dec. 12 at a special event. Co-hosts Mike Jackson, Chairman and CEO of AutoNation, and Founder of AutoNation H. Wayne Huizenga, announced major donations to NSU's Pathway Scholars program.

"This is the kind of educational program that AutoNation looks to support and the fact that it's going to be installed at the H. Wayne Huizenga School of Business and Entrepreneurship at Nova Southeastern University has success written all over it," said Mike Jackson. "Pathway Scholars will be given every opportunity to succeed in school, in business, and in life. That's our goal. That is our pledge to the students."

AutoNation made a $60,000 gift that will help sponsor one student through his or her entire undergraduate experience at NSU. H. Wayne Huizenga also made a pledge of significant additional funds to be used for the Pathway Scholars program as well as one other project that is currently under development. It is anticipated that as the Pathway Scholars program grows, additional corporate sponsors will participate.

In addition to financial support, the scholarship provides internships and mentorships with business leaders, academic support, a community network of peers and other resources to ensure recipients' academic and social success while pursuing their degree at HSBE.

Pathway Scholars is being launched and will be assisted by Take Stock in Children, a non-profit organization that provides a unique opportunity for low-income and at-risk students to escape the cycle of poverty through education. Students will be selected for the program and then work closely with advisers, mentors, and business partners throughout their four-year degree program at the Huizenga Business School.

"This is a fresh way to look at supporting the educational goals of some of South Florida's most disadvantaged high school students – we are taking a more holistic approach here," said D. Michael Fields, Ph.D., dean of the Huizenga Business School. "Everyone is served well by this program, from the students, to the school, all the way to the businesses that will eventually hire these bright young students and the community as a whole."

TSIC will select an initial group of students from the existing TSIC program who demonstrate leadership, possess emotional strength, are committed to education and success, and show academic promise with a high school GPA that is typically 3.5 or higher. Then, HSBE's Board of Governors Selection Committee will make the final selection. "By working with an established community partner like Take Stock in Children, we know that we are more likely to bring in students who will be a success both academically and emotionally," added Fields.

The goal of the Pathway Scholars program is to address the whole person, not just the academic or the social person. The program will commence during summer 2012. In order to maximize success, students will have tutors and mentors to give them a general introduction to college life and life away from their home environment, and they will live as a group in an NSU dormitory with access to tutors, mentors and other support personnel. Additionally, students will reside in a controlled and supportive living environment and have the same group of corporate sponsors for the entire four years of undergraduate study.

"Programs like these are necessary for the future of our community," said Jeremy Mathis, a junior finance major at the Huizenga Business School, whose twin brother, Josh Mathis, is a marketing/management major at the school. "My father wasn't in the picture when I was growing up, we were in an underserved African-American neighborhood, food was scarce and it would have been easy for me to just become another statistic. But people have believed in me, and thanks to the opportunities I've had at NSU, I am able to pursue greatness. The most important thing I've learned is how to add value to a company. This will be an invaluable program for students, NSU and South Florida."

For more information on the Pathway Scholar program, visit: http://www.huizenga.nova.edu/pathway-scholars/

For corporate or individual sponsorship opportunities, visit: http://www.huizenga.nova.edu/pathway-scholars/features-summary.cfm

About the H. Wayne Huizenga School of Business and Entrepreneurship
Serving more than 6,000 students, the H. Wayne Huizenga School of Business and Entrepreneurship at Nova Southeastern University offers bachelor's, master's and doctoral degree programs in areas such as accounting, finance, human resource management, public administration, sales and more. The Huizenga Business School also boasts the largest Master of Business Administration MBA sales program in Florida as well as sales certificate. The school is housed in the five-story state-of-the-art Carl DeSantis Building on Nova Southeastern University's main campus in Fort Lauderdale-Davie, Florida, but programs are available at multiple locations and online. For more information, visit http://www.huizenga.nova.edu/.

About Take Stock in Children
Take Stock in Children was established in 1995 as a non-profit organization in Florida that provides a unique opportunity for low-income and at-risk students, many from minority families, to escape the cycle of poverty through education. We offer our students college scholarships, caring volunteer mentors and hope for a better life. Our comprehensive services start in middle school, continue through high school and include their transition into college.

About AutoNation
AutoNation, Inc., headquartered in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., is America's largest automotive retailer. A component of the Standard and Poor's 500 Index, AutoNation owns and operates 243 new vehicle franchises in 15 states. For additional information, please visit corp.AutoNation.com or www.AutoNation.com.

SOURCE Nova Southeastern University - Huizenga School of Business