WASHINGTON, D.C. (May 5, 2017) — U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos on Friday announced the 53rd class of U.S. Presidential Scholars, recognizing 161 high school seniors for their accomplishments in academics, the arts and career and technical education fields.
“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 U.S. 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.”
The White House Commission on Presidential Scholars selects scholars annually based on their academic success, artistic excellence, essays, school evaluations and transcripts, as well as evidence of community service, leadership, and demonstrated commitment to high ideals.
Of the 3.5 million students expected to graduate from high school this year, more than 5,100 candidates qualified for the 2017 awards determined by outstanding performance on the College Board SAT and ACT exams, through nominations made by Chief State School Officers, other partner recognition organizations or the National YoungArts Foundation’s nationwide YoungArts™ competition.
The 2017 U.S. Presidential Scholars are comprised of one young man and one young woman from each state, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico, and from U.S. families living abroad, as well as 15 chosen at-large, 20 U.S. Presidential Scholars in the Arts and 20 U.S. Presidential Scholars in Career and Technical Education.
Created in 1964, the U.S. Presidential Scholars Program has honored almost 7,500 of the nation’s top-performing students with the prestigious award given to honorees during the annual ceremony in Washington. The program was expanded in 1979 to recognize students who demonstrate exceptional talent in the visual, literary and performing arts. In 2015, the program was again extended to recognize students who demonstrate ability and accomplishment in career and technical education fields.
The 2017 ceremony will be held June 18, when each honoree will receive a Presidential Scholar Medallion.
A complete list of 2017 U.S. Presidential Scholars follows and is also available at http://www.ed.gov/psp.
2017 Presidential Scholars
[*] One asterisk indicates a U.S. Presidential Scholar in the Arts
[**] Two asterisks indicates a U.S. Presidential Scholar in Career and Technical Education
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
Idaho
Elizabeth 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 Island
Sydney 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 Virginia
Landon 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
