ROSEDALE, MD—U.S. Secretary of Education Dr. Miguel Cardona this week announced the 57th class of U.S. Presidential Scholars, recognizing 161 high school seniors for their accomplishments in academics, the arts, and career and technical education fields.
A Baltimore County student who lives in Rosedale made the list.
“The 2021 Presidential Scholars represent extraordinary achievements for our extraordinary times,” said U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona. “I am delighted to join President Biden in saluting these outstanding young people for their achievements, service, character and continued pursuit of excellence. Their examples make me proud and hopeful about the future. Honoring them can remind us all of the great potential in each new generation and renew our commitment to helping them achieve their dreams.”
The White House Commission on Presidential Scholars selects scholars annually based on their academic success, artistic and technical 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 6,000 candidates qualified for the 2021 awards determined by outstanding performance on the College Board SAT or ACT exams or through nominations made by Chief State School Officers, other partner recognition organizations and the National YoungArts Foundation‘s nationwide YoungArts™ program.
As directed by Presidential Executive Order, the 2021 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 U.S. families living abroad, as well as 15 chosen at-large, 20 Scholars in the arts and 20 Scholars in career and technical education.
Created in 1964, the U.S. Presidential Scholars Program has honored over 7,600 of the nation’s top-performing students. 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.
In all, five Maryland students made the list, including Avinash J. Thakkar, who lives in Rosedale and attends McDonogh School in Owings Mills.
The Presidential Scholars Class of 2021 will be recognized for their outstanding achievement this summer.
A complete list of 2021 U.S. Presidential Scholars follows and is also available at http://www.ed.gov/psp.
**
U.S. Presidential Scholars Class of 2021
* Scholar for U.S. Presidential Scholar in Arts.
** Scholar for U.S Presidential Scholar in Career and Technical Education.
Alabama
AL – Gregory T. Li, Spanish Fort – Alabama School of Mathematics and Science
AL – Soojin Park, Auburn – Auburn High School
Alaska
AK – Alex Prayner, Wasilla – Mat-Su Career and Technical High School
AK – Parker Emma Rabinowitz, Girdwood – Hawaii Preparatory Academy
Americans Abroad
AA – Haddy Elie Alchaer, Beirut – International College
AA – Victoria Nicole Maniego Santos, Saipan – Mount Carmel High School
Arizona
AZ – Viraj Mehta, Scottsdale – BASIS Scottsdale Charter
**AZ – Suhani Patel, Peoria – Mountain Ridge High School
AZ – Danielle Sherman, Scottsdale – Desert Mountain High School
Arkansas
AR – Alison Sue-Jeanne Jang, Bentonville – Bentonville High School
AR – Felix Zhan, Fayetteville – Clark High School
California
*CA – Grace Huh, San Jose – Lynbrook High School
CA – Donovan Julian Jasper, Granite Bay – Jesuit High School
CA – Eshani Jha, San Jose – Lynbrook High School
*CA – Allison Sky Park, Sherman Oaks – Harvard-Westlake School
*CA – Arya Pratap, Fremont – Saint Francis High School
*CA – Charlotte Dawn Sedaka, Sherman Oaks – Viewpoint School
CA – Diya Sarah Theodore, Riverside – Redlands High School
*CA – Parker Van Ostrand, Sacramento – C. K. McClatchy High School
CA – Michael Zhao, San Jose – Lynbrook High School
Colorado
*CO – Whitney Blue, Boulder – Fairview High School
CO – Nicole Yee Chen, Greenwood Village – Cherry Creek High School
CO – Kayson M Marler, Loveland – Loveland High School
Connecticut
CT – Rachel S. Brooks, Trumbull – Christian Heritage School
CT – Colin B. Speaker, Greenwich – Greenwich High School
Delaware
DE – Patrick Stratton Campbell, Wilmington – Brandywine High School
**DE – Rohan P Kanchana, Hockessin – Newark Charter Junior/Senior High School
DE – Risha Kumar, Wilmington – Cab Calloway School of the Arts High School
DE – Reece Alexander Ratliff, Wilmington – Tower Hill School
**DE – Divita Taduvayi, Bear – MOT Charter High School
District of Columbia
DC – Stephen Thomas Mirabello, Washington – School Without Walls
DC – Tess I Weinreich, Washington – The Potomac School
Florida
FL – Ellen Choi, Melbourne – Holy Trinity Episcopal Academy
FL – Rohan R Davidi, Tallahassee – James S. Rickards High School
*FL – Jalynn Jaielle McDuffey, Miami – Coral Reef Senior High School
*FL – Is Perlman, Miami Beach – Design & Architecture Senior High School
*FL – Stephen Adam Savage, Port St. Lucie – Savage Home School
**FL – Elyse V. Soracco, St. Johns – Creekside High School
*FL – Elyse Yvonne Thomas, Miami – School for Advanced Studies-Wolfson
**FL – Barrett Ryan Young, Branford – Branford High School
Georgia
GA – Aaron Daniel Altamirano Dino, Saint Marys – Camden County High School
GA – Divya Nori, Roswell – Milton High School
Hawaii
HI – Joshua H. Park, Honolulu – Iolani School
HI – Cosette Ting-Hua Wu, Honolulu – Punahou School
Idaho
ID – Katherine E. Hebdon, Nampa – Skyview High School
ID – Jaston B. McClure, Moscow – Moscow High School
Illinois
IL – Sarah Aline McEvers, White Hall – North Greene High School
IL – Louis Peacemaker Mukama, Chicago – Phillips Exeter Academy
IL – Pavan Venkatesh Pandurangi, Palatine – William Fremd High School
Indiana
IN – Kobe Chen, Fort Wayne – Homestead High School
IN – Zoe Edwards, Carmel – Carmel High School
Iowa
IA – Dorothy M Junginger, West Des Moines – Valley High School
**IA – Molly Ann Niewoehner, Hawkeye – Sumner-Fredericksburg High School
IA – Lucas Ian Pierce, Nashua – Nashua Plainfield High School
Kansas
KS – Charles B. Horner, Overland Park – Shawnee Mission South High School
KS – Khushi Kohli, Overland Park – Olathe North High School
KS – Aishani Saxena, Stilwell – Blue Valley West High School
Kentucky
KY – Sarah Belcher, Dorton – Pikeville High School
KY – Justin Michael Burch, Prospect – St. Xavier High School
Louisiana
LA – Eric Jaron Jones, St. Rose – Destrehan High School
LA – Ju-Woo Nho, Baton Rouge – Baton Rouge Magnet High School
Maine
ME – Devon Michael Hunter, Orrington – John Bapst Memorial High School
ME – Aislynn K Worden, Springvale – Sanford High School
Maryland
MD – Marvin Li, Salisbury – James M Bennett High School
MD – Saanika Mahashetty, Boyds – Richard Montgomery High School
**MD – Sahil Patel, Waldorf – North Point High School
MD – Avinash J. Thakkar, Rosedale – McDonogh School
**MD – Kathy Yao, Lutherville – Dulaney High School
Massachusetts
**MA – Julie A Canuto-Depina, Weymouth – Southeastern Regional Vocational-Tech High School
*MA – Maria Isabella Carpenter, Wenham – Governor Dummer Academy
MA – Caroline Curran, Pocasset – Sturgis Charter School
*MA – Andrew Harris, Concord – Middlesex School
*MA – Arden E. Lloyd, Amherst – Amherst Regional High School
MA – Ritvik Chandra Pulya, Acton – Acton-Boxborough Regional High School
MA – Kevin Wen, Somerville – Somerville High School
Michigan
*MI – Calvin R. Hinds, Wayland – Interlochen Arts Academy
MI – Saaim Ali Khan, Troy – Cranbrook Kingswood Upper School
**MI – Andrea Maizy, Warren – Center Line High School
MI – Shriya Reddy, Northville – Northville High School
MI – Shriya S Yarlagadda, Grand Blanc – Grand Blanc Community School
Minnesota
*MN – Madelyn Dietz, Saint Paul – Interlochen Arts Academy
MN – Lucas Scott Eggers, Rochester – Choate Rosemary Hall
MN – Esperanza Lee, Saint Paul – Woodbury High School
Mississippi
MS – Emmanuelle Rachel Teng, Oxford – Oxford High School
MS – Matthew Landon Yin, Madison – Madison Central High School
Missouri
**MO – Justin David Eddy, Rocheport – David H. Hickman High School
MO – Janvi Huria, Chesterfield – Marquette High School
MO – Sri Jaladi, Creve Coeur – Parkway West High School
MO – Rohith K Ryali, Ballwin – Lafayette High School
**MO – Sydney Marie Stundebeck, Salisbury – Salisbury R-Iv High School
Montana
MT – Claire Anne Downing, Helena – Helena High School
MT – John Cody Gilbert, Moore – Hobson Public School
Nebraska
*NE – Ramya Iyer, Omaha – Westside High School
NE – Lucas G Niewohner, Herman – Tekamah-Herman High School
NE – Trishna Aishani Srikumar, Elkhorn – Brownell-Talbot School
Nevada
NV – Derek Lin Chien, Reno – Davidson Academy of Nevada
NV – Priyanka Senthil, Reno – Davidson Academy of Nevada
New Hampshire
NH – Fahim Ahmed, Goffstown – Goffstown Area High School
NH – Rebecca Zhu, Nashua – Nashua Senior High School South
New Jersey
NJ – Youssef Abdelhalim, Hillsborough – Hillsborough High School
NJ – Lara Ozkan, River Edge – Bergen County Academies
NJ – Akhil C Paulraj, Plainsboro – West Windsor-Plainsboro High School North
*NJ – Katherine Vandermel, Closter – Bergen County Academies
New Mexico
NM – Melinda Leyuan Modisette, Albuquerque – Albuquerque Academy
NM – Faris Irwin Wald, Santa Fe – Santa Fe High Sch South Campus
New York
NY – Julia K. Brand, Purchase – Riverdale Country School
NY – Owen M. Dugan, Sleepy Hollow – Dugan Home-School
NY – Shubh Khanna, New York – Hunter College High School
NY – Kristen Meola, New York – United Nations Internatl Sch
North Carolina
NC – Ijay Narang, Charlotte – Ardrey Kell High School
NC – Nrithya P Renganathan, Cary – The North Carolina School of Science & Mathematics
NC – Pratyush Seshadri, Cary – Raleigh Charter High School
North Dakota
ND – Dennis Du, Grand Forks – Grand Forks Central High School
ND – Ellen Anna Gregoire, Larimore – Larimore Public High School
Ohio
OH – Maple Buescher, Cleveland Heights – Cleveland Heights High School
OH – Aidan J Finn, Cincinnati – Saint Xavier High School
*OH – Kasey M. Shao, Cincinnati – Walnut Hills High School
Oklahoma
OK – Sean Michael Kuehn, Sand Springs – Charles Page High School
OK – Emily Jordan Benelli Ward, Locust Grove – Locust Grove High School
Oregon
OR – Kevin Dai, Corvallis – Crescent Valley High School
OR – Kaitlyn J. Kim, Ashland – Ashland High School
Pennsylvania
PA – Catherine A. Cavanaugh, Lansdale – North Penn High School
PA – Richard Su Fang, Newtown – Council Rock High School
**PA – Raymond A. Slifer, Quakertown – Quakertown Senior High School
Puerto Rico
PR – Alejandra Sofía Lozada Santana, San Juan – Baldwin School of Puerto Rico
PR – Ricardo Shawki Marrero-Alattar, Dorado – St. John’s School
**PR – Nicolas Taj Proskauer Valerio, Aguadilla – Ramey School
Rhode Island
RI – Brooke L Newbury, West Warwick – St Mary Academy – Bay View
RI – Eric Tang, Providence – Wheeler School
RI – Erik Y. Wang, Providence – Phillips Academy
South Carolina
SC – Lily Lassiter, Charleston – Academic Magnet High School
SC – Jacob T Price, Spartanburg – Spartanburg High School
South Dakota
SD – Riley James Nold, Sioux Falls – Washington High School
SD – Brooklyn Kate Pater, Sioux Falls – Sioux Falls Christian High School
SD – Samantha Timanus, Gregory – Gregory High School
Tennessee
TN – Nelson D. Rose, Brentwood – Brentwood High School
TN – Seo Yoon Yang, Signal Mountain – Signal Mountain Middle High School
*TN – Alora E Young, Brentwood – Hillsboro High School
Texas
*TX – Sarah Grace Kimberly, Friendswood – The High School for Performing & Visual Arts
**TX – Sneha Sunil Shenoy, Spring – Klein High School
**TX – Christian Tamez, Del Rio – Del Rio High School
TX – Labiba Uddin, Frisco – Dr Justin Wakeland High School
TX – Derek Pan Wong, San Antonio – Keystone School
Utah
UT – Dallin Tyler Christensen, Pleasant View – Leadership Academy of Utah
**UT – Nathan Daniel Ford, Lehi – Cedar Valley High School
UT – Mahider Tadesse, Salt Lake City – East High School
Vermont
VT – Theresa J. Christiansen, Richmond – Mount Mansfield Union High School
VT – John Cotter, Mendon – Rutland High School
Virginia
VA – Shreya Somayajula, Ashburn – Stone Bridge High School
VA – Jason Wang, Vienna – Thomas Jefferson High School for Science & Technology
Washington
WA – William R. Murray, Bellevue – Lakeside School
WA – Tessa Claire Pierce, Newport – Newport High School
**WA – Molly Jane Williams, Clarkston – Charles F Adams High School
West Virginia
WV – Kendra S Goeddert, Maxwelton – Greenbrier East High School
WV – Nicholas G Murphy, Washington – Parkersburg South High School
**WV – Zara Zervos, Moundsville – John Marshall High School
Wisconsin
WI – Neil Sai Dogra, Mequon – University School of Milwaukee
WI – Phoebe J. Jeske, Madison – Oregon High School
**WI – Amara Lynn Livingston, Buffalo City – Cochrane Fountain City High School
Wyoming
WY – Jessica L. Petri, Green River – Green River High School
WY – Siler J Weaver, Evanston – Evanston High School
State Superintendent Karen B. Salmon, Ph.D. and MSDE congratulate Maryland's five U.S. Presidential Scholars for their outstanding achievements in academics, the arts and CTE, and wish them the best of success in their future endeavors. Learn More: https://t.co/dGVIAu6wYX pic.twitter.com/8w7fj1utXo
— MdPublicSchools (@MdPublicSchools) May 13, 2021
