National Academy Foundation Shines Spotlight on Leaders

DETROIT, July 20 /PRNewswire/ -- The National Academy Foundation, a pioneer of small learning communities, bestowed high honors on 12 leaders for achievements as NAF alumni or advisory board champions.

NAF provides a model for educational reform. Through its network, local education and community leaders build career-themed curricula and business- sponsored learning opportunities. The academies -- Finance, Hospitality and Tourism, and Information Technology -- attract businesses that supplement education with real world experiences.

Local advisory boards are key to NAF academies' success. Through public- private partnerships, NAF students benefit from high-level mentoring, paid internships and career development.

"It's a symbiotic network. The schools provide students with a focused education and the businesses provide real world experiences. The academy alumni flourish in their chosen careers, and their passion helps industries thrive," said NAF President John Ferrandino.

The NAF Advisory Board Champion Award recognizes active members who make a significant impact on their local academy program. 2006 honorees include:

* Carmen Corvos-Roig, business development director, Carnival Cruise Lines. Corvos-Roig chairs the advisory board for the Academy of Hospitality and Tourism (AOHT) in the Miami-Dade County Public School District in Florida.

* Karen Davis, vice president, ESL Federal Credit Union. Davis bridges businesses with the newly established academy program in the Rochester City School District in New York.

* Hank Hubbard, president, Communicating Arts Credit Union. Hubbard mentors and hires finance academy interns from Detroit Public Schools' Golightly Career and Technical Center.

* Julio Torres, president, DeVry University. Torres opened the college campus to the Academy of Information Technology in Broward County, Florida.

The NAF Alumni Honoree Award recognizes outstanding graduates. 2006 honorees include Jennifer Bell (Middleton Academy of Finance, NY), Roselaine Bien-Aime (Miami Beach AOHT), Roseline Bien-Aime (Miami Beach AOHT), Conrod Kelly (Coral Reef Academy of Business and Finance, FL), Stephanie Laing (Miami Norland AOHT), Marie Lunsford (San Diego Academy of Finance), Michael Rollins (Golightly Academy of Finance) and Alvin Sanchious (Plantation Academy of Information Technology, FL).

About The National Academy Foundation

NAF was a pioneer of "small learning communities" as a model for secondary educational reform. The NAF network targets high need urban school districts and serves over 45,000 students in over 500 Academies in the U.S. and the District of Columbia. NAF's major industry partners include Citigroup, American Express and Pearson. For more information, visit http://www.naf.org .

Source: National Academy Foundation

What are people saying about mortgages today:

Rates on 30-year mortgages edged down last week to a seven-month low. Mortgage-giant Freddie Mac reported Thursday that 30-year, fixed-rate mortgages fell to 6.3 percent, down slightly from 6.31 percent two weeks ago. It put rates at the lowest level since they were at 6.24 percent the first week of March.

Bank of Hawaii, Central Pacific Bank, Territorial Savings Bank and Wells Fargo Home Mortgages all cut their 30-year mortgage rates to 5.75 percent this week.

Most people think of a mortgage as a means to an end. After all, you buy a house, not a home loan. But a mortgage is much more than the path to homeownership. It is a financial instrument that must be managed, just like any other financial investment.