11.08.2007 - 12:03pm ET

(CSRwire) RESTON, Va., Nov. 8 /PRNewswire/ -- Sallie Mae, the nation's leading saving- and paying-for-college company, is pleased to announce that Pete Sanchez, director of Servicing Process Excellence, and Carolina Martin, vice president of Hispanic Initiatives, were honored with a Young Hispanic Corporate Achievers award from the Hispanic Association on Corporate Responsibility (HACR). HACR is a coalition of the nation's most influential community-based organizations.

(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20030617/SLMLOGO-a)

Sanchez and Martin are among 28 young professional executives from across the country who were selected as part of HACR's inaugural Young Hispanic Corporate Achievers (YHCA) program. A review of the candidates' accomplishments, established leadership qualities, industry expertise, education and employment experiences, as well as a demonstrated commitment to their communities, was conducted to select each honoree. Each of the Corporate Achievers is between 25 and 40 years of age, of Latino origin and employed by a Fortune 500 company or HACR Corporate Member.

"We have found that a company's success is being increasingly influenced by their inclusion of professionals from the growing Hispanic population," said HACR President & CEO Carlos Orta. "It is important for us to recognize these young professionals who are helping to fuel the engines that drive our country's economy."

HACR's research and findings reinforce the need for a continued effort to increase Latino representation in corporate leadership roles. As the largest and fastest-growing ethnic group in the United States, Hispanics represent over 14 percent of the population and 12.5 percent of all employees in the labor force. Their imprint on U.S. culture and business is undeniable. More companies are recognizing the need to incorporate their perspectives at employee, managerial and governance levels to bring fresh ideas, new energy and opportunities to an ever-changing diverse marketplace.

The awardees took part in a two-day leadership development and networking program and were formally recognized as role models for other young, corporate professionals.

SLM Corporation (NYSE: SLM), commonly known as Sallie Mae, is the nation's leading provider of saving- and paying-for-college programs. The company manages $160 billion in education loans and serves nearly 10 million student and parent customers. Through its Upromise affiliates, the company also manages $19 billion in 529 college-savings plans, and 8 million members have joined Upromise to help save for college with rewards on purchases at nearly 70,000 places. Sallie Mae and its subsidiaries offer debt management services as well as business and technical products to a range of business clients, including higher education institutions, student loan guarantors and state and federal agencies. More information is available at www.salliemae.com. SLM Corporation and its subsidiaries are not sponsored by or agencies of the United States of America.

For more information please contact: