For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology Teradata College Scholarship Winners Announced

Providing educational support for tomorrow's computer scientists and engineers

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Mar 31, 2011, 11:00 ET

ATLANTA, March 31, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- The 2011 winners of the Teradata For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology (FIRST) college scholarship program have been announced by Teradata Corporation (NYSE: TDC), the world's largest company focused on data warehousing and integrated marketing management. All winners are participants in a Teradata-sponsored FIRST Robotics Competition or FIRST Tech Challenge team.

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"Each year, Teradata increases its support of FIRST and expands our scholarship program. We are excited to be able to offer scholarships to such amazing students and know we are supporting future leaders in science and technology. This year's recipients are truly exceptional!" said Susan Baxley, director of community relations, Teradata Corporation.

To be eligible for the scholarships, these high school seniors demonstrated leadership skills in school or their community, took part in a Teradata-sponsored FIRST Robotics Competition or FIRST Tech Challenge, and are majoring in a science, technology, engineering or math discipline at an accredited four-year college or university. They are:

James Benefield, Escondido, CA, is a member of the FIRST Robotics team The Daedalus Project at Escondido Charter High School. He is also an Eagle Scout, a member of the Coach's List, and he earned an Above and Beyond community service award. He plans to major in mechanical engineering at the University of the Pacific. Benefield is the son of Cory and Linda Benefield.

Gary Chang, San Diego, CA, is a member of The Manhattan Project FIRST Robotics Team at Westview High School. Chang is a member of MENSA, several school sports teams, and he is a science Olympiad. He will major in bioengineering at the University of California, Berkeley. He is the son of Xin Zhang and Li Wang.

Julie Gattenio, Poway, CA, is president of Team Spyder, the FIRST Robotics team at Poway High School, and captain of the school's cross country team. She was named to the San Diego Union-Tribune's All Academic Team, and is a volunteer in the emergency department at Palomar Hospital in North San Diego. She will study pre-med and Spanish at the University of Notre Dame. Gattenio is the daughter of Ken and Linda Gattenio.

Aditya Majumdar, San Jose, CA, is the event manager for the Funky Monkeys FIRST Robotics Team and vice president of the National Honor Society chapter of Lynbrook High School in San Jose. He is the National Forensic League speech and debate chapter president and has earned the organization's Academic All-American Award. Majumdar plans to major in chemical engineering at Stanford University. He is the son of Tapas and Sanchaita Majumdar.

Sahar Mesri, San Diego, CA, serves as the vice president of the FIRST Robotics Team Pedestrian at Rancho Bernardo High School. She holds a third degree black belt in the Korean martial art of Tang Soo Do and is a member of the Fraternity of Academic and Civic Excellence. Mesri plans to major in electrical engineering at University of California, Berkeley. She is the daughter of Mike and Zohreh Mesri.

Andrew Nottingham¸ Westerville, OH, is a member of the Educational Robotics of Central Ohio FIRST Robotics Team Digital Fusion. He attends Worthington Christian High School where he is a member of the school's debate team. Nottingham is also a winner of the Honda-OSU partnership math medal award. He will major in mechanical engineering at University of Cincinnati, where he is a Cincinnati Cincinnatus Scholar. He is the son of Randall and Dana Nottingham.

David Pudlo, Greensboro, NC, is the founder of the FIRST Robotics Team Prion at Grimsley High School in Greensboro, and a FIRST Dean's list finalist. He is a member of the National Honor Society and the recipient of a Rensselaer Medal. Pudlo will major in mechanical engineering at Franklin W. Olin College of Engineering. He is the son of Ron and Jean Pudlo.

Abbas Raza, Canton, GA, is graduating first in his class at Cherokee High School in Canton, where the Soup FIRST team participated in the international championship in 2010. He has tutored math and participated in cross country. Raza will major biomedical engineering at Georgia Institute of Technology. He is the son of K. Raza Mahmood, MD, and Asifa Raza.

DeAna Smalls, Lexington, SC, is a member of The Robo-Raiders FIRST Robotics Team at WJ Keenan High School in Columbia. Active in student council, the school newspaper, sports and community volunteer service, Smalls is also a National Achievement Finalist, and a recipient of the Columbia Urban League Young and Gifted Award. She will major in pharmacy at the University of South Carolina. She is the daughter of James and DeVonne Smalls.

Ryan Webster, Greensboro, NC, participates in the Triple Strange FIRST Robotics Team at the Early College at Guilford as the leader of the mechanical department. Webster is also pursuing a Royal Ranger Gold Medal of Achievement. He is a senior at Lighthouse Academy. Webster will major in mechanical engineering at Kettering University. He is the son of Tom and Lori Webster.

Additional information

Teradata also is a strong supporter of the FIRST LEGO League, where elementary and middle-school students use LEGOs to build robots that complete tasks.

Photos are available from the Teradata News Room here: http://bit.ly/hQHJMG

Captions:

The Robo-Raiders FIRST Robotics Team at WJ Keenan High School in Columbia. Team member DeAna Smalls won a Teradata 2011 FIRST Scholarship.

The FIRST Robotics Team Pedestrian at Rancho Bernardo High School. Sahar Mesri serves as team vice president and received a Teradata 2011 FIRST Scholarship.

The Funky Monkeys FIRST Robotics Team Lynbrook High School in San Jose. Aditya Majumdar won a Teradata 2010 FIRST Scholarship.

About FIRST

Accomplished inventor Dean Kamen founded FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) in 1989 to inspire an appreciation of science and technology in young people. Based in Manchester, N.H., FIRST designs accessible, innovative programs to build self-confidence, knowledge, and life skills while motivating young people to pursue opportunities in science, technology, and engineering. With support from three out of every five Fortune 500 companies and more than $12 million in college scholarships, the not-for-profit organization hosts the FIRST® Robotics Competition (FRC®) and FIRST® Tech Challenge (FTC®) for high-school students, FIRST® LEGO® League (FLL®) for 9 to 14-year-olds, (9 to 16-year-olds outside the U.S. and Canada) and Junior FIRST® LEGO® League (Jr.FLL) for 6 to 9-year-olds. Gracious Professionalism™ is a way of doing things that encourages high-quality work, emphasizes the value of others, and respects individuals and the community. To learn more about FIRST, go to www.usfirst.org.