Vikki L. Pryor, President & CEO of SBLI USA Mutual Life Insurance Company, Inc.,Present4th Annual Marie Nesbitt Prize

29 September 2005

Vikki L.Pryor, president and CEO of SBLI USA Mutual Life Insurance Company, Inc., will award the fourth annual Marie Nesbitt Promise Prize on Thursday evening, September 29, to Mark Smith, a second year law student at the University at Buffalo Law School. The award will be presented at the 23rd Annual Awards and Scholarship Dinner of the Minority Bar Association of Western New York, at the Statler Golden Ballroom in Buffalo, New York.

Vikki L.Pryor, president and CEO of SBLI USA Mutual Life Insurance Company, Inc., will award the fourth annual Marie Nesbitt Promise Prize on Thursday evening, September 29, to Mark Smith, a second year law student at the University at Buffalo Law School. The award will be presented at the 23rd Annual Awards and Scholarship Dinner of the Minority Bar Association of Western New York, at the Statler Golden Ballroom in Buffalo, New York.

The $5,000 "Promise Prize" award is bestowed annually on a student of African descent who has demonstrated exceptional academic achievement and professional promise during the first year of law school at the University at Buffalo, Ms. Pryor's alma mater.

"I am ecstatic, and very surprised," said Mr. Smith, about receiving the award. "I feel good about my grades, and am confident about being an attorney, but receiving an award like this does a lot for one's confidence about the ability to succeed in the legal world. I hope that receiving this award will give me the opportunity to give back ten fold to the community and to the University at Buffalo."

Ms. Pryor created the award in 2002 in memory of her grandmother, Marie Nesbitt, who was a great granddaughter of slaves and whose formal education stopped at the third grade. Having lived through the Great Depression, World War II, as well as the Jim Crow and Civil Rights eras, Ms. Nesbitt was a woman of strong opinions and deeply held principles who was an inspiration to everyone with whom she came in contact.

"I am pleased to present the Marie Nesbitt Promise Prize for the fourth consecutive year. My grandmother faced many difficulties in her life, but she stayed positive and inspired me and all those around her," said Ms. Pryor. "The Promise Prize is an opportunity to create a legacy of giving to support young people and their dreams. As alumni, parents, professors and mentors we now have the chance to give back to our schools, communities and the young people of today as a way of saying 'thank you' for all that we have been so lucky to receive in our own lives. The award will also help develop a network of young leaders dedicated to achieving their full potential and who will strive to give back to their communities."

At the University at Buffalo, Mark ranks in the top 15 percent of his law school class and is the recipient of a Dean's Scholarship. He is a member of the Buffalo Black Law Student Association, a Clerk on the Buffalo Public Interest Law Journal, and has published numerous articles in the Allegany County Judicial Review. A native of Corning, New York, Mr. Smith is pursuing a legal career because he sees law as a vehicle for social change and is determined to serve his community. He developed an interest in law at Alfred University, where he majored in political science with a focus in public interest law. His experience at the Rotary Sunshine Camp working with mentally and physically challenged youngsters made him realize that he wanted a career where he could directly help others, especially children. A Graduate Assistantship at Alfred enabled him to further pursue his interests in law and the rights of children by working at the Rural Justice Institute and at the Allegany Youth Court.

Ms. Pryor is an alumna of the State University of New York at Buffalo as well as its law school and was one of the early members of the BALSA (Black Law Students Association) at the law school. She serves on the Dean's Advisory Council at the law school, and was honored with its 2002 Distinguished Alumna Award for exemplary performance in business. In 2001, Ms. Pryor received her own "day of proclamation" from the Common Council of the city of Buffalo and the Western New York Minority Bar Association.

About SBLI USA
SBLI USA Mutual Life Insurance Company, Inc. is a financial services company that is committed to value-conscious consumers. The Company is dedicated to building lifelong relationships with customers and empowering them with the education and tools they need to take control of their financial destinies.

SBLI USA and its subsidiaries are licensed in 49 states, the District of Columbia, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and Puerto Rico. With more than $17 billion of insurance in force, $1.5 billion in assets, $120 million in surplus capital, 250 employees and over 400,000 customers, the Company is committed to offering affordable, flexible and easy-to-access products through a variety of integrated channels, including direct mail, telemarketing, a bilingual Web site, licensed agents, and new Customer Centers, as it expands nationally.

SBLI USA Mutual Life Insurance Company, Inc. is the parent company to SBLI USA Holdings, Inc., which owns subsidiary companies S.USA Life Insurance Company, Inc., and SBLI USA Diversified Services Company, Inc.

Source: PR Web

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