ST. LOUIS, May 19, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- The Arch Coal Foundation announced today that 11 high school graduating seniors were chosen as 2016 Arch Coal Scholars. Each student will receive a $2,000 annual scholarship to an accredited college or university for up to four years.

"We are pleased to introduce the 2016 class of Arch Coal Scholars," said John W. Eaves, Arch Coal chairman and chief executive officer. "The scholarship program is an important piece of the company's efforts to provide quality educational opportunities in areas where we operate, and these outstanding young people are excellent examples of high academic achievement. We congratulate them for their efforts and wish them continued success as they begin the next phase of their education and prepare for their careers."

The Arch Coal Scholars program is open to the children of eligible employees of Arch Coal and its subsidiaries. Recipients are selected on the basis of academic record, leadership and participation in school and community activities. Also included in the application are a statement of education and career goals, a work history and an outside appraisal.

The 2016 Arch Coal Scholars are:

This year's top-rated Arch Coal Scholar, Willie Kimler, was named the 2016 Kendra Bradley Washburn Memorial Scholarship recipient. Kimler will graduate next month from Scott High School in Madison, W.Va. He was a four-year member of the Student Council, serving as student body president his senior year, of Youth Commission International, a teen Christian leadership organization, and of the school's Pep Club. He also played on the Skyhawk junior varsity and varsity football teams. Kimler was on the honor roll all four years and twice was a member of the Chemistry Olympiad Team for Boone County Honors Academy. He also served as a peer tutor, a Special Olympics volunteer and was a member of Students Against Destructive Decisions. He plans to attend Marshall University in Huntington, W.Va., and major in biochemistry. The Washburn Memorial Scholarship is named for the late daughter of former Arch Coal Director Robert G. Potter and is given each year to the Arch Coal Scholar that received the judges' highest ranking.

Scholarship America, the country's largest private sector scholarship and educational support organization, administers all aspects of the Arch Coal Scholars program, including the independent selection process.

The Arch Coal Scholars program has provided four-year scholarships to more than 300 new high school graduates since it began in 1989. The Arch Coal Foundation also supports educational excellence through its annual Arch Coal Teacher Achievement Awards in West Virginia and Wyoming, and through a teaching grants program in Delta County, Colo.

U.S.-based Arch Coal, Inc. is a top coal producer for the global steel and power generation industries, reliably serving customers worldwide. Its network of large-scale, low-cost mining complexes is the most diversified in the United States, spanning every major coal basin in the nation. For more information, visit archcoal.com.

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SOURCE Arch Coal, Inc.