Deerfield Beach, Fla. - Jan Moran, chairman and president of The Jim Moran Foundation, has announced the recipient of the 2008 North Florida African-American Youth Achiever Award.  Doyinsola Aribo, 16, who recently graduated from Stanton College Preparatory High School in Jacksonville, Fla., is this year's winner.  The award is a needs-based, four-year scholarship to Florida State University (FSU) available only to high school seniors who qualify for financial aid and who have been accepted for admission to FSU.

Originally from Lagos, Nigeria, Aribo moved to the United States when she was eight years old.  She plans to major in political science at FSU and aspires to attend law school, eventually entering corporate practice.

Aribo is a member of the National Honor Society and is an Advanced Placement (AP) Scholar.  For three consecutive years she was the recipient of the Academic Excellence Award from the Sigma Pi Phi fraternity.  Additionally, she has completed community service volunteering as a tutor to Jacksonville inner-city children through Helping Unique Girls & Guys Succeed (HUGGS), working at Community Hospice in Jacksonville, and helping seniors afflicted with Alzheimer's disease at the Sunrise Nursing Home, in Willoughby, Ohio while she visited with relatives last summer.

Doyinsola says her FSU application essay topic was: "use a quote that means something to you."  So she entitled her essay: "Remember the daughter of whom you are" an often repeated saying her mom uses to challenge her to exceed her mother's accomplishments in life.  

The 2008 award recipient says her brother, Seun, 14, and she have always been very close to their mother, who works at a hotel.  "My mom has always been our role model.  She stressed the importance of setting goals and achieving a higher education.  We moved to this country to work hard and make a better life for ourselves."

"Doyinsola's achievements prove what my husband always said, 'The harder you work, the luckier you get,'" remarked Jan Moran.  "I know Jim would admire her determination, service to her community, and commitment to her family.  She's a special young woman who is well deserving of this recognition."

The mission of The Jim Moran Foundation is to improve the quality of life for the youth and families of Florida through the support of innovative programs and opportunities that meet the ever-changing needs of the community.  It is located at 100 Jim Moran Boulevard, Deerfield Beach, Fla. 33442.  To learn more about The Foundation, visit www.jimmoranfoundation.org or call 954/429-2122.

JM Family Enterprises, Inc. (JM Family) ( www.jmfamily.com ) is a $12.2 billion diversified automotive company ranked by Forbes as the 22nd-largest privately held company in the U.S.  It is currently ranked No. 23 by FORTUNE® as one of the 100 Best Companies to Work For, its 10th consecutive year on the list.  The company's primary subsidiaries and divisions include: Southeast Toyota Distributors, LLC, the world's largest independent distributor of Toyota and Scion vehicles; World Omni Financial Corp., a diversified financial services company; JM&A Group, one of the largest independent insurance and extended warranty groups of companies in the U.S.; JM Service Center LLC, the company's internal shared services center; JM Lexus, the largest volume Lexus dealership in the world; and JMsolutions, a dealer-focused technology products and services company.  Headquartered in Deerfield Beach, Fla., JM Family has major operations in Jacksonville and Margate, Fla.; Commerce and Alpharetta, Ga.; Mobile, Ala.; and St. Louis, Mo.