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U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos today announced the 54th 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 want to congratulate this year’s class of Presidential Scholars on their achievement and also thank their parents, teachers and other academic advisors who have helped guide them along the way,” said U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos. “These students have pushed themselves to be the best they can be, and I am certain that devotion will serve them well as they continue their individual learning journeys.”

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 3.6 million students expected to graduate from high school this year, more than 5,200 candidates qualified for the 2018 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 2018 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 2018 ceremony will be held June 24, when each honoree will receive a Presidential Scholar Medallion.

A complete list of 2018 U.S. Presidential Scholars follows and is also available at http://www.ed.gov/psp.

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2018 U.S. Presidential Scholars

[*] An asterisk indicates a Presidential Scholar in the Arts

[**] Two asterisks indicate a Presidential Scholar in Career and Technical Education

Alabama

AL – Dylan E. Campbell, Mobile – McGill-Toolen Catholic High School

[**] AL – Zackery C. Love, Talladega – Talladega High School

AL – Sarah Zhao, Birmingham – Vestavia Hills High School

Alaska

AK – Birch J. Boyer, Anchorage – Polaris K-12 School

AK – Ana Stringer, Barrow – Barrow High School

American Abroad

AA – Ayden J. Kemp, APO – Ramstein American High School

AA – Mansi Totwani, St. Thomas – Antilles School

Arizona

AZ – Seoyoon Kim, Phoenix – BASIS Peoria

[**] AZ – Lana H. Mohamed, Peoria – Centennial High School

AZ – Aditya Sivakumar, Phoenix – BASIS PHOENIX

Arkansas

AR – Jon C. Boekhout, Hot Springs – Hot Springs World Class High School

AR – Anika Mittal, Blytheville – KIPP Blytheville Collegiate High School

[**] AR – Ashley Turner, Maumelle – Maumelle High School

California

CA – Maggie S. Chen, San Diego – Canyon Crest Academy

[*] CA – Jacqueline He, San Jose – Harker School

CA – Jake Kim, Newbury Park – Westlake High School

[*] CA – Sanna Legan, Los Angeles – New Roads School

[*] CA – Anilee List, Los Angeles – Los Angeles County High School for the Arts

CA – Advait Patil, San Jose – Lynbrook High School

Colorado

CO – Siddharth M. Mane, Greenwood Village – Cherry Creek High School

CO – Isani Singh, Aurora – Cherry Creek High School

CO – Chelsea Wang, Fort Collins – Fossil Ridge High School

Connecticut

CT – Cole Marcuccio, Canton – Canton Jr-Sr High School

CT – Michelle Woo, Riverside – Greenwich High School

Delaware

DE – Michael Z. Chen, Newark – Newark Charter Junior/Senior High School

DE – Grace Gong, Newark – Charter School of Wilmington

District of Columbia

DC – Michael Adeyi, Washington – Sidwell Friends School

DC – Samantha C. O’Sullivan, Washington – School Without Walls

Florida

FL – Sidhika Balachandar, Gainesville – Buchholz High School

[*] FL – James Balo, Miami – Design & Architecture Senior High School

[*] FL – Elena Gonzalez, Cutler Bay – New World School of the Arts

[*] FL – Ishmael Gonzalez, Hialeah – New World School of the Arts

[**] FL – Caroline Hanson, Youngstown – Deane Bozeman School

FL – Tamim Kawakibi, Pensacola – Pensacola High School

FL – Grant J. LoPresti, Lutz – George M. Steinbrenner High School

Georgia

GA – Keaton P. Coletti, Bogart – North Oconee High School

GA – Paul M. Matesevac, Lawrenceville – Collins Hill High School

GA – Minjung Yu, Watkinsville – Oconee County High School

Hawaii

HI – Mylia H. Briggs, Kapolei – Kapolei High School

HI – Davey Huang, Honolulu – Iolani School

HI – Isabelle J. Rhee, Honolulu – Punahou School

Idaho

ID – Jack A. Lauer, Boise – Boise High School

ID – Tia T. Vierling, Moscow – Moscow High School

Illinois

[**] IL – Connor K. Erbsen, Lanark – Eastland High District 308

[*] IL – David Hou, Hawthorn Woods – Adlai E. Stevenson High School

IL – Ibraheem Khan, Chicago – Northside College Preparatory High School

IL – Audrey Pettigrew, Chicago – Walter Payton College Preparatory School

Indiana

IN – Susan Chen, Fort Wayne – Homestead High School

[**] IN – Lane Hilgenhold, Tell City – Perry Central Community School

IN – Harrison Knable, New Albany – New Albany High School

Iowa

[**] IA – Hermela Gebremariam, Fairfield – Fairfield Community High School

IA – Caleb L. Lines, Nashua – Nashua Plainfield High School

IA – Sophia Xiao, Bettendorf – Pleasant Valley High School

Kansas

KS – Gabriel J. Gress, Overland Park – Blue Valley High School

KS – Neeharika Kothapalli, Overland Park – Blue Valley West High School

Kentucky

[*] KY – Aaron Choate, Lexington – Lafayette Senior High School

KY – Kasey C. Fields, Lexington – Lafayette Senior High School

KY – Zsombor T. Gal, Lexington – Paul Laurence Dunbar High School

KY – David W. Ma, Lexington – Paul Laurence Dunbar High School

Louisiana

LA – Erina M. Buchholz, Baton Rouge – Baton Rouge Magnet High School

LA – Dakota W. Simpson, Shreveport – Caddo Parish Magnet High School

Maine

ME – Gregory A. Pershing, Cumberland – Greely High School

ME – Grace E. Roberts, South Portland – Cape Elizabeth High School

Maryland

MD – Sreya Vangara, Germantown – Poolesville Senior High School

MD – Michael Yin, Rockville – Montgomery Blair High School

Massachusetts

MA – Samantha C. Alves, Mansfield – Noble and Greenough School

MA – Moriah G. Lim, North Attleboro – North Attleboro High School

Michigan

MI – Tanner L. Bonner, Dearborn Heights – Annapolis High School [*] MI – Nathan Ginter, Kalamazoo – Interlochen Arts Academy

[**] MI – Mikal Goodman, Pontiac – Arts and Technology of Pontiac

[**] MI – Caitlin Henne, Eaton Rapids – Springport High School MI – Neha Seshadri, Ann Arbor – Skyline High School

[**] MI – Veena Thamilselvan, Farmington Hills – Harrison High School

Minnesota

MN – Julia B. Luehr, Chanhassen – Minnetonka High School

MN – Hyun Soo Song, Edina – Breck School

Mississippi

MS – Tyler A. Jackson, Gulfport – Saint Patrick Catholic High School

MS – Wei Li, Vancleave – Vancleave High School

Missouri

MO – Alexander W. Donovan, Chesterfield – Mary Institute and St. Louis Country Day School

MO – Michelle Li, Ballwin – Marquette High School

Montana

[**] MT – Tyler Noyes, Toston – Broadwater High School

MT – Devin J. Seyler, Clancy – Helena High School

MT – Emma G. Sihler, Helena – Helena High School

Nebraska

[**] NE – Hunter Guru, Lincoln – Lincoln East High School

NE – Jae Hyun Lim, Lincoln – Lincoln Southwest High School

NE – Jenna Y. Mu, Omaha – Brownell-Talbot School

Nevada

NV – Andrew T. Wang, Henderson – Clark High School

[*] NV – Alisha M. Yi, Las Vegas – Clark High School

NV – Leah Yim, Las Vegas – West Career and Technical Academy

New Hampshire

NH – Vinjai S. Vale, Exeter – Phillips Exeter Academy

NH – Tiffany White, Barnstead – Prospect Mountain High School

New Jersey

NJ – Katherine Dai, Glen Rock – Academy for Medical Science Technology NJ – Isaac Hart, Glen Rock – Glen Rock High School

[*] NJ – Noah Lee, Oakland – Don Bosco Preparatory High School

[**] NJ – Alexandra Poret, Sparta – Sparta High School

[**] NJ – Deven Singh, Manalapan – Monmouth Academy of Allied Health & Sciences

New Mexico

NM – Alexandra K. Mauritsen, Artesia – Artesia High School

NM – Jorrell Mirabal, Magdalena – Magdalena High School

New York

NY – Jade Carvalho, Smithtown – Hauppauge High School

NY – Charles T. Curnin, Rye – Rye Country Day School Upper School

North Carolina

NC – Nithya S. Adusumilli, Cary – Raleigh Charter High School

NC – Ronak Bhagia, Charlotte – Providence Day School

NC – Jack M. Swanson, Morganton – Freedom High School

[*] NC – Jace A. Weyant, Clemmons – North Carolina School of the Arts

North Dakota

ND – Marissa R. Diggs, Oakes – Oakes High School

[**] ND – Brianna D. Maddock, Davenport – Kindred High School

ND – Nidhi T. Mahale, Fargo – Davies High School

ND – Isaac S. Spanjer, Fargo – North High School

Ohio

OH – Nathaniel J. Boerner, Cincinnati – Boerner Home School

[*] OH – Natalie Choo, Cincinnati – Seven Hills Upper School

OH – Emily G. Dietz, Zanesville – Maysville High School

OH – Nicholas D. Maxwell, Granville – Granville High School

[*] OH – Shreyah Mohanselvan, New Albany – Columbus Academy

Oklahoma

OK – Michael P. Gehr, Edmond – Heritage Hall Upper School

OK – Michael Mandanas, Edmond – Heritage Hall Upper School

OK – Jamie E. Marrara, Claremore – Oologah High School

Oregon

OR – Brian Josephson, Medford – South Medford High School

[*] OR – Ameya Okamoto, Portland – The Catlin Gabel School

OR – Raley Schweinfurth, Portland – Oregon Episcopal School

Pennsylvania

PA – Aryaman Khandelwal, Breinigsville – Parkland High School

[*] PA – William McGregor, Malvern – PA Leadership Charter School PA – Pranshu Suri, Bryn Mawr – The Baldwin School

Puerto Rico

PR – Diego F. Gonzalez-Lizardi, San Juan – St. John’s School

PR – Cristina M. Trapaga, Dorado – Tasis School in Dorado

Rhode Island

RI – Portia T. Gaitskell, Barrington – Lincoln School

[**] RI – Sherenté M. Harris, Charlestown – Metro Regional Career & Tech Center

RI – Jordan C. Kimia, Providence – Classical High School

South Carolina

[*] SC – Aidan Forster, Taylors – South Carolina Governor’s School for Arts & Humanities

SC – Robert D. Rush, Conway – Conway High School

SC – Jenny J. Yao, Mount Pleasant – Academic Magnet High School

South Dakota

[**] SD – Bridger J. Gordon, Whitewood – Sturgis High School

SD – Oscar Kavanagh, Brookings – Brookings High School

SD – Ruhama Tereda, Sioux Falls – Washington High School

Tennessee

TN – Rachel M. Fan, Memphis – White Station High School

TN – Chapman D. Finn, Franklin – Battle Ground Academy

Texas

TX – Micheal Brown, Houston – Mirabeau B Lamar Senior High School

TX – Katherine Lei, Plano Senior High School – Plano Senior High School

TX – Sonesh Patel, Austin – Vandegrift High School

TX – Syamantak Payra, Friendswood – Clear Brook High School

[*] TX – Emir Price, Dallas – Booker T. Washington High School for the Performing & Visual Arts

TX – Mikayla C. Slaydon, San Augustine – San Augustine High School

Utah

[**] UT – Kael Berkley, Heber City – Wasatch High School

[**] UT – Lydia Day, Orem – Timpanogos High School

UT – Annelisa Kingsbury-Lee, Salt Lake City – West High School

UT – Riley J. Lewis, Payson – Salem Hills High School

[**] UT – Kanishka Ragula, Salt Lake City – Skyline High School

Vermont

VT – Mary C. Markley, Burlington – Burlington High School

VT – Walker C. Randall, Waitsfield – Harwood Union High School

Virginia

VA – Kavya Kopparapu, Herndon – Thomas Jefferson High School for Science & Technology

VA – Mihir Patel, Great Falls – Thomas Jefferson High School for Science & Technology

VA – Marissa Sumathipala, Ashburn – Broad Run High School

Washington

WA – Dana Berejka, Mercer Island – Mercer Island High School

WA – Grant Hugh, Shoreline – Lakeside School

West Virginia

WV – Brady D. Hanshaw, Charleston – Sissonville High School

WV – Vinitha Joseph, Morgantown – Morgantown High School

Wisconsin

WI – Charles X. Hua, Middleton – West High School

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