U.S. Presidential Scholars: 161 Students Win Prestigious Award

WASHINGTON, DC — The Department of Education announced 161 students named U.S. Presidential Scholars Friday, a group that comes from every state in the country, Washington, D.C., and Puerto Rico.

"I congratulate this year's class of Presidential Scholars for their devotion to academic excellence and their parents and teachers who have guided them along the way,” said Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos. “Today's Presidential Scholars are tomorrow's leaders, and I am confident they will continue to be shining examples as they enter the next phase of their academic careers.”

According to the White House Committee on Presidential Scholars, "The Scholars demonstrate exceptional accomplishments in academics, the arts, career and technical education and an outstanding commitment to public service." The awards are given out based on the review of their "academic success, artistic excellence, essays, school evaluations and transcripts, as well as evidence of community service, leadership, and demonstrated commitment to high ideals."

More than 5,100 students qualified to be considered for the award. Each scholar will receive a Presidential Scholar Medallion at a ceremony on June 18.

Here's the full list of winners from the department:

Alabama

Trent S. Kannegieter, Daphne - Bayside Academy
Anna Pollard, Jacksonville - Jacksonville High School

Alaska

Makayla J. Maisey, Anchorage - A. J. Dimond High School
Adam J. Skelton, Anchorage - South Anchorage High School

Americans Abroad

John R. Casey, APO - Ramstein American High School
Rachel L. Flatt, FPO - Nile C. Kinnick High School

Arizona

Allison Z. Chen, Queen Creek - Hamilton High School
Jules T. Wyman, Tucson - University High School

Arkansas

Ryan K. Kim, Fayetteville - Fayetteville High School East Campus
Stephanie Zhao, Little Rock - Pulaski Academy

California

**Dayana Argueta, Winton - Atwater High School
Mike Bao, Walnut - Troy High School
*Carissa Chen, Tustin - Phillips Exeter Academy
*Jayden Gillespie, Rancho Santa Fe - Canyon Crest Academy
Katherine S. Li, San Jose - Lynbrook High School
**Katelyn Maclean, Arroyo Grande - Nipomo High School
Pravin Ravishanker, Sunnyvale - Bellarmine College Preparatory
Vaibhavi B. Shah, Corona - Centennial High School
*Samuel Siegel, Berkeley - Independence High School
*Meilan E. Steimle, Saratoga - Harker School
Posy K. Stoller, La Jolla - La Jolla Country Day School

Colorado

Mayank Mishra, Superior - Peak to Peak Charter School
Anqi Yu, Grand Junction - Palisade Senior High School

Connecticut

Kristen Richichi, New Fairfield - New Fairfield High School
Jackson Walker, Wilton - Wilton High School
William Yin, Riverside - Greenwich High School

Delaware

**Johnny Bui, Camden - Caesar Rodney Senior High School
**Christie E. Little, Harrington - Lake Forest High School
Dhruv Mohnot, Wilmington - Concord High School
Olivia R. O'Dwyer, Montchanin - Archmere Academy

District of Columbia

Kira L. Medish, Washington - National Cathedral School
John L. Nugent, Washington - School Without Walls

Florida

*Adriana De La Torre, Miami - New World School of the Arts
*Korri Lampedusa, Miami - Design & Architecture Senior High School
Varun Singh, Seffner - Middleton High School
*Kathryn Stenberg, Boca Raton - Alexander W Dreyfoos School of the Arts
Hiu Lam V. Yan, Bradenton - St. Stephen's Episcopal School

Georgia

**Dalton C. Green, Ringgold - Gordon Lee Memorial High School
Zane G. Placie, Kennesaw - Kennesaw Mountain High School
Isabelle O. Riddle, Canton - Sequoyah High School
**Helen J. Smith, Fayetteville - Sandy Creek High School
Nivedha Soundappan, Kathleen - Houston County High School

Hawaii

Carter Nakamoto, Aiea - Punahou School
Emily Yang, Honolulu - Kalani High School
IdahoElizabeth S. Lee, Boise - Boise High School
Henry Zhang, Boise - Capital High School

Illinois

Jane Boettcher, Naperville - Naperville North High School
*Andrew Guo, Chicago - Home-School
**Sophia M. Jerkatis, Naperville - Waubonsie Valley High School
Jungin A. Lee, Naperville - Metea Valley High School
Troy Shen, Chicago - The Culver Academies
Pranav A. Upadhyayula, Plainfield - Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy
Sushil B. Upadhyayula, Plainfield - Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy
Kathy M. Xiang, Vernon Hills - Adlai E. Stevenson High School

Indiana

Michael C. Wang, Carmel - Carmel High School
Elise H. Zaniker, Carmel - University High School

Iowa

Gabriel L. Mintzer, West Des Moines - Valley High School
Tiana M. Saak, Grundy Center - Grundy Center High School

Kansas

Bessie Bauman, Olathe - Olathe Northwest High School
Hannah Motley, Leawood - Blue Valley North High School
Tyler Ross, Salina - Salina High School South

Kentucky

Emily J. Liu, Louisville - duPont Manual Magnet High School
Kenneth T. Whitsell, Danville - Boyle County High School

Louisiana

Yunsu Kim, Metairie - Metairie Park Country Day School
Clarke M. Patrone, Broussard - Episcopal School Of Acadiana

Maine

Joshua L. Reynolds, York - York High School
Ellen E. Stanton, South Portland - South Portland High School

Maryland

Matthew H. Kleiser, Timonium - Boys' Latin School Of Maryland
Tingyu Li, Ellicott City - Centennial High School

Massachusetts

Sivaram S. Emani, Newton - The Roxbury Latin School
**Alkenly S. Ortiz, Lawrence - Greater Lawrence Regional Vo-Tech HS
*Amir Siraj, Brookline - Brookline High School
Catherine L. Wang, Lexington - Lexington High School

Michigan

**Carly Claucherty, Springport - Springport High School
Neil Vaishampayan, Troy - Troy High School
Guobibi Wang, Troy - Cranbrook Kingswood Upper School

Minnesota

William J. Drew, Maple Grove - Wayzata High School
Moriah H. Elkin, Mendota Hts - Simley Senior High School

Mississippi

Kelly E. Bates, Collinsville - West Lauderdale High School
Braeden J. Foldenauer, Southaven - Mississippi School for Mathematics & Science

Missouri

Erin R. Neely, Des Peres - Parkway South High School
Thomas C. Pointer, Gainesville - Gainesville R-V High School

Montana

Annabel B. Conger, Columbia Falls - Columbia Falls High School
Colin L. Norick, Columbia Falls - Columbia Falls High School

Nebraska

Marta R. Pulfer, Wayne - Wayne High School
Abram L. Turner, Lincoln - Lincoln Southeast High School

Nevada

Melissa J. Bak, Reno - Davidson Academy of Nevada
**Curtis Basa, Carson City - Carson High School
Ian M. Oh, Reno - Davidson Academy of Nevada

New Hampshire

**Connor Craige, Laconia - Gilford Middle High School
Ria A. Das, Nashua - Phillips Exeter Academy
Gavin T. Shilling, Bedford - The Derryfield School

New Jersey

**Sanjana Duggirala, East Windsor - Mercer Cty Tech Schools - Health Science Academy
Winona H. Guo, Princeton - Princeton High School
*Lianah Sta. Ana, Freehold - Howell High School
Gavin P. Lifrieri, Fort Lee - Fort Lee High School
*Benjamin Wenzelberg, Tenafly - Tenafly High School

New Mexico

Rohan S. Angadi, Clovis - Clovis High School
Faith Y. Koh, Los Alamos - Los Alamos High School

New York

Zachary J. Gold, Scarsdale - Ardsley High School
*Aaron Greenberg, Sunnyside - Fiorello H. Laguardia HS of Music and Art and the Performing Arts
Grace Hu, Jericho - Jericho Senior High School
*Juliana Missano, Lloyd Harbor - Keystone National High School
Ben S. Rhee, Syosset - Syosset High School
*Clayton Stephenson, Brooklyn - The Dalton School

North Carolina

*Alexa Bleasdale-Curnutte, Jackson Springs - Interlochen Arts Academy
**Joseph C. Richardson, Belvidere - Perquimans County High School
Charlotte M. Thomas, Lewisville - Forsyth Country Day School
Sreeram Venkat, Morrisville - The North Carolina School of Science & Mathematics

North Dakota

Mona M. Abdelrahman, Fargo - South High School
Martin L. Altenburg, Fargo - North High School
**Evan C. Welsh, Grand Forks - Grand Forks Central High School

Ohio

Regan N. Brady, Shaker Hts - Hathaway Brown School
Ian J. Doemling, Aurora - Aurora High School
Debolina Ghosh, Solon - Hathaway Brown School
*Isabella Pete, North Canton - Hoover High School
Michael J. Weaver, Westerville - Saint Charles Preparatory High School

Oklahoma

Grant M. Gebetsberger, Tulsa - Holland Hall School
Madelyn Haden, Newalla - Moore High School
**Jada Holliday, Broken Arrow - Broken Arrow High School

Oregon

Katherine Leblanc, Portland - Lincoln High School
Nikhil Murthy, Portland - The Catlin Gabel School

Pennsylvania

Julie L. Chen, Wexford - North Allegheny Senior High
Joseph R. Feffer, Boalsburg - State College Area High School

Puerto Rico

Enrique D. Latoni Morales, San Juan - Colegio San Ignacio de Loyola
Summer L. Powers, San Juan - St. John's School
Rhode IslandSydney Jenkins, Hope - Moses Brown School
Andrew T. Lee, Providence - Wheeler School

South Carolina

Jenning N. Chen, Columbia - Spring Valley High School
Devin B. Srivastava, Spartanburg - Spartanburg Day School
Frelicia N. Tucker, Aiken - Aiken High School

South Dakota

Jacksyn T. Bakeberg, Spearfish - Spearfish High School
Lexis M. Sherron, Sioux Falls - Brandon Valley High School

Tennessee

Dhilan Ramaprasad, Morristown - Morristown-Hamblen High School West
Barbara W. Xiong, Brentwood - University School of Nashville

Texas

*Todd Baker, Carrollton - Booker T. Washington HS for the Performing & Visual Arts
**Brittney E. Colbath, Copperas Cove - Copperas Cove High School
*Elle Cox, Houston - The High School for Performing & Visual Arts
*Nicholas Cummings, Richardson - Booker T. Washington HS for the Performing & Visual Arts
Gabriela Escalante, Shavano Park - Saint Mary's Hall
*Salvador Flores, Galena Park - Galena Park High School
Christian Giadolor, Rockwall - Rockwell Heath High School
Michael Mireles, Alton - IDEA Quest College Preparatory

Utah

**Anne Clark, Provo - Timpview High School
Raymond W. Li, Logan - Logan High School
Kathy Liu, Sandy - West High School
**Marin Murdock, Herriman - Herriman High School

Vermont

Anders Ode, Burlington - Burlington High School
Abigail Yu, S Burlington - Phillips Exeter Academy

Virginia

**Logan Apple, Winchester - Millbrook High School
Violet C. Felt, Vienna - Thomas Jefferson High School for Science & Technology
Prathik Naidu, Potomac Falls - Thomas Jefferson High School for Science & Technology

Washington

Christopher B. Chen, Sammamish - The Overlake School
Rebecca J. Scurlock, Seattle - Lakeside School
West VirginiaLandon M. Buckland, Beckley - Independence High School
Kathryn L. Wantlin, Elkview - Charleston Catholic High School
Wisconsin

Colin Gray-Hoehn, Brookfield - Brookfield East High School
**Dylon Pokorny, Waupun - Waupun Junior/Senior High School
Maria Thurow, Monticello - New Glarus High School
Wyoming

Anna Harris, Green River - Green River High School
Maxwell Ramsay-Burrough, Teton Village - Lawrenceville School

[*] One asterisk indicates a U.S. Presidential Scholar in the Arts

[**] Two asterisks indicates a U.S. Presidential Scholar in Career and Technical Education

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