MINNEAPOLIS, May 04, 2005 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- Aparna (Noel) Suri, a senior at St. Paul Harding High School and Michael Diedrich, a senior from Rochester Century High School, have each won a $10,000 scholarship from U.S. Bank as part of its Back 2 Schools program. The awards were presented at a banquet last night in Bloomington where all of the 2004-05 Back 2 Schools award winners were honored.

Suri was honored for outstanding leadership. As early as 8th grade, Suri had the drive and ambition to reach out to University of Minnesota researchers when members of her family were getting sick from polluted water and offered to assist with experiments to test new ways to clean the water. Twelve professors turned her down before one welcomed the young student into his lab. She was so grateful to him that she decided to forego her summer vacations for the next six years to continue conducting her science research.

Most recently, Suri coordinated tsunami relief fund efforts for her school and produced a women and science exhibit at the Science Museum of Minnesota. Suri will graduate this spring ranked second in her class of 445 students and ends her high school career as the president of the science club and National Honor Society, captain of the quiz bowl team and co-captain of the math, tennis and music listening teams.

Diedrich was honored for outstanding academic accomplishments. He is the first in his class of 419 students and received a perfect score on his SAT. Science has played a major role in Diedrich's life. He has been selected four times to present at the Minnesota Science Fair and twice has received awards at the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair. In 10th grade his science fair project was so successful that it led to straight advancement from the regional to the international level. He is only the second student in Rochester history to have accomplished this feat and his project resulted in his first U.S. patent.

Diedrich has been co-captain of the Century Science Olympiad, math league and knowledge masters. He has been involved in the speech team, young Democrats and National Honor Society, as well as the Century High School Theater Panther Playhouse. He believes that giving back to his community is a priority and volunteers at the Ronald McDonald house and as a karate instructor at the Rochester Area Family YMCA. He has also been an active Boy Scout member for the last seven years.

More than 200 Minnesota high school student and teachers from 130 schools received awards as part of the U.S. Bank Back 2 Schools program in the 2004-05 academic year. They were recognized in one of three areas - the U.S. Bank Teacher's Edition, the Five Star Student Honor Roll and the Prep Athletes of the Week. Student winners in the Five Star Student Honor Roll program were honored with awards this past academic year based on their success in one of five categories - academics, arts, community service, leadership and personal success.

U.S. Bank has 124 branches and more than 9,300 employees across Minnesota. U.S. Bank is a subsidiary of Minneapolis-based U.S. Bancorp (NYSE:USB), with $198 billion in assets, is the 6th largest financial holding company in the United States. The company operates 2,377 banking offices and 4,654 ATMs in 24 states, and provides a comprehensive line of banking, brokerage, insurance, investment, mortgage, trust and payment services products to consumers, businesses and institutions. U.S. Bancorp is home of the Five Star Service Guarantee in which the company pays customers if certain key banking benefits and services are not met. Visit U.S. Bancorp on the web at usbank.com.

SOURCE: U.S. Bank

U.S. Bank
Teri Charest
612-303-0732
teri.charest@usbank.com