U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos Names 161 Students as 2020 U.S. Presidential Scholars
WASHINGTON – U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos today announced the 56th class of U.S. Presidential Scholars, recognizing 161 high school seniors for their accomplishments in academics, the arts, and career and technical education fields.
“It is my privilege to congratulate the Presidential Scholars Class of 2020 on their outstanding academic achievement, community service, and leadership,” said Secretary DeVos. “These exemplary young people have excelled inside the classroom and out. And, while they are facing unprecedented challenges as they graduate from high school into a world that looks much different than it did just a few months ago, their determination, resilience, and commitment to excellence will serve them well as they pursue their next steps.”
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 5,300 candidates qualified for the 2020 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™ competition.
As directed by executive order of the President, the 2020 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.
The Presidential Scholars Class of 2020 will be recognized for their outstanding achievement this summer as public health circumstances permit.
A complete list of 2020 U.S. Presidential Scholars follows and is also available at http://www.ed.gov/psp.
U.S. Presidential Scholars Class of 2020
* Scholar for U.S. Presidential Scholar in the Arts
** Scholar for U.S. Presidential Scholar in Career and Technical Education
Alabama
Kittson Hamill, Owens Cross Road – Huntsville High School
Isaac Walter Stubbs, Wetumpka – Wetumpka High School**
Lawrence Zhang, Madison – James Clemens High School
Alaska
Gavin Block, Palmer – Mat-Su Middle College School
Grace J. Park, Fairbanks – Park Home School
Americans Abroad
Claire Marie Hightower, Bangkok – Bangkok Patana School
Grant Schooling, Singapore – Singapore American School
Arizona
Freya Francy Abraham, Maricopa – Maricopa High School
Rithvik Reddy Musuku, Gilbert – BASIS Chandler
Jake Okun, Scottsdale – Desert Mountain High School**
Arkansas
Brooke Avery Bradford, Shirley – Clinton High School**
Jack Norris, Rogers – Rogers High School
Amanda Mei Thomsen, Fayetteville – Fayetteville High School
California
Matthew Allana, Beverly Hills – Beverly Hills High School
Anthony Arya, Santa Cruz – Georgiana Bruce Kirby Preparatory School*
Dusan Brown, Studio City – Los Angeles County High School for the Arts*
Caitlin Chung, Beverly Hills – Harvard-Westlake School*
Jessica Costescu, Cypress – Cypress High School
Dante Jervaise Kirkman, Modesto – Palo Alto Senior High School*
Theodore Louis Nissen, Los Angeles – Los Angeles County High School for the Arts*
Anoush Pogossian, Glendale – Verdugo Academy*
Dean Tran, Morgan Hill – Ann Sobrato High School
Christina Wooden, San Diego – Canyon Crest Academy
Colorado
Evelyn Ariana Bodoni, Englewood – Cherry Creek High School
Jack Selner Brustkern, Denver – Regis Jesuit High School
Eliot Lee Juhon Hodges, Denver – Kent Denver School
Melanie Zhiqi Zhou, Littleton – ThunderRidge High School**
Connecticut
Cynthia Chen, Riverside – Greenwich High School
Brandon Demkowicz, Farmington – Farmington High School
Elizabeth Ann Wozniak, Meriden – Orville H. Platt High School**
Delaware
Umar Arif Aulia, Newark – Tower Hill School
Jessica Pei, Wilmington – Archmere Academy
District of Columbia
William Gordon Nash, Washington – St. Albans School
Lauren Xu, Washington – BASIS DC
Florida
Sage Croft, Windermere – Windermere High School*
Alexander Grayson Dyer, Lithia – Newsome High School
Helena Jiang, Gainesville – Buchholz High School
Mia Sarah Palomba, Lake Worth – Alexander W Dreyfoos School of the Arts*
Lauren Philip, Saint Johns – Creekside High School**
Mallorie Sievert, Jacksonville – Douglas Anderson School of the Arts*
Georgia
Alice Vivian Ao, Suwanee – Peachtree Ridge High School
Albert Zhang, Duluth – Northview High School
Hawaii
Koichiro Otake, Honolulu – Iolani School
Eui Jin Song, Honolulu – Kaiser High School
Idaho
Blaine Dillingham, Boise – Timberline High School
Zoe Simon, Hailey – Wood River High School
Jieyan Wang, Moscow – Moscow High School*
Illinois
Isabella Cho, Wilmette – North Shore Country Day School*
Arnav Prashant Lande, Naperville – Waubonsie Valley High School**
David Sandoval, Berwyn – J S Morton High School West
Elizabeth Welch-Jani, Northbrook – Glenbrook South High School
Indiana
Ankush Kundan Dhawan, Newburgh – Signature School
Meagan Maureen Hipsky, Guilford – Hipsky Home School*
Ann Ostojic, Munster – Munster High School
Daelyn Quinn, Newburgh – Castle High School
Iowa
Matthew Ding, Johnston – Johnston High School
Elizabeth Catherine Meyer, Sioux City – Heelan High School
Blake Ronald Van Der Kamp, Prairie City – PCM High School**
Kansas
Eddie Dai, Olathe – Olathe North High School
Bridget Rose Schippers, Olathe – St. James Academy
Kentucky
Kathleen Criner, Paducah – Paducah Tilghman High School
Megan Rose Johnston, Danville – Boyle County High School**
Raymond Micheal Suo, Louisville – DuPont Manual Magnet High School
Louisiana
Sunggun Lee, Baton Rouge – Baton Rouge Magnet High School
Cindy Zheng, Baton Rouge – Baton Rouge Magnet High School
Maine
Neily Kate Raymond, Hermon – Hermon High School
John Bishop Wahlig III, Falmouth – Falmouth High School
Maryland
Maria Christina Hancu, Poolesville – Poolesville Senior High School
Nadine Meister, Ellicott City – Centennial High School
Pranav Tadikonda, Boyds – Richard Montgomery High School*
Bill Tong, Columbia – Atholton High School
Robert Wachen, Potomac – Winston Churchill High School
Massachusetts
Amelia Ao, Wayland – Wayland High School
Jaiden David Edelman, West Tisbury – Martha’s Vineyard Regional High School
Saviel Ortiz, Lawrence – Greater Lawrence Technical School**
Michigan
Maria Fields, Detroit – University Liggett School
Ansh Patel, Riverview – Grosse Ile High School
Minnesota
Benjamin Bin Yan, Rochester – Century High School
Aunika Zheng, North Oaks – Mounds View High School
Mississippi
Vayd Sai Ramkumar, Starkville – Mississippi School for Mathematics & Science
Abigail Wiest, Hattiesburg – Sacred Heart High School
Missouri
Rahul Suresh Kanna, Chesterfield – Lafayette High School
Jordan Elizabeth Tierney, Chesterfield – Visitation Academy
Montana
Conrad Lee, Bozeman – Lee Home-School
Gail Parambi, Great Falls – Charles M. Russell High School
Nebraska
Jarod Michael Harris, Seward – Seward High School**
Luke Partsch, Nebraska City – Lourdes Central High School
Lucy Tu, Omaha – Millard North High School
Nevada
Dakyung Lee, Henderson – Coronado High School
Clarence Ndubisi, Las Vegas – The Meadows School
Emhyr Subramanian, Reno – Davidson Academy of Nevada
New Hampshire
Jeffrey Lam, Nashua – Nashua High School South
Claire Emily Reynolds, Nashua – Bishop Guertin High School
New Jersey
Laura Futamura, Middletown – High Technology High School*
Dong Jun Lee, Fort Lee – Bergen County Technical High School**
NJ – YoungEun Lee, Demarest – Northern Valley Regional High School
NJ – Jason Ping, Fort Lee – Academy for the Advancement of Science & Technology
Alan Yeung, Sparta – Sparta High School**
New Mexico
Zachary J. Auster, Los Ranchos – Albuquerque Academy
Mireya Cosima Sanchez-Maes, Las Cruces – Mayfield High School
New York
Olivia Bigtree, Nedrow – Manlius-Pebble Hill School*
George John Eliadis, Newburgh – Newburgh Free Academy
Grant James GianGrasso, Clarence – Clarence Central High School
Nouhoum Koita, Brooklyn – Fiorello H. Laguardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts*
Sophia Lynn Li, New York – Hunter College High School
Benjamin Tanchoco Rossen, Great Neck – Great Neck South High School*
North Carolina
Chase Elliot Johnson, Hickory – Hickory High School
Brianna Elyse Thompson, Winston Salem – Atkins Academic Tech High School
Justin Junpeng Zhao, Cary – Green Hope High School
North Dakota
Hanna Johnson, Walcott – Richland High School
Jacob Shelver, Fargo – North High School
Gareth Jiarui Wu, Grand Forks – Grand Forks Central High School**
Ohio
Ryan Nicole Brady, Shaker Heights – Hathaway Brown School
Elizabeth Radway, Cincinnati – Indian Hill High School
Aniv Ray, Worthington – Columbus Academy
Olivia Wenzel, Parma Heights – Laurel School
Oklahoma
Sukanya Bhattacharya, Edmond – Heritage Hall Upper School
Nicholas Sayegh, Oklahoma City – Western Heights High School
Oregon
Britton Masback, Portland – The Catlin Gabel School
Dana Marie Smiley, Portland – Lincoln High School
Tina Trang Truong, Portland – Benson Polytech High School**
Pennsylvania
David Jeffrey Ban, Wexford – North Allegheny Senior High
Neil Deshmukh, Macungie – Moravian Academy
Rhea Malhotra, Allentown – Moravian Academy
Puerto Rico
Gabriela Cristina García Oruña, San Juan – Academia Maria Reina
Harold Ignacio Peón Castro, San Juan – Academia del Perpetuo Socorro
Sofia M. Villamil, San Juan – Commonwealth-Parkville School
Rhode Island
Alexander Jedson, West Greenwich – Exeter-West Greenwich Regional Junior-Senior High School
Daniel N. Marella, Cranston – Cranston High School West**
Ishita Rai, Warwick – St. Mary Academy – Bay View
South Carolina
Lauren Chen, Irmo – Dutch Fork High School
Vamsi Gorrepati, Columbia – Spring Valley High School
Nicholas Michael Dean Turgeon, Greenville – Wade Hampton High School*
South Dakota
Jonathan Coronado, Rapid City – Stevens Senior High School
Katherine J Pardy, Sioux Falls – O’Gorman High School
Ainsley Powers, Brookings – Brookings High School**
Tennessee
Sydney Hummel, Nolensville – Nolensville High School
Benjamin Charles Perry, Gallatin – Merrol Hyde Magnet School
Maggie A Wilkinson, Ooltewah – Chattanooga High Center for Creative Arts*
Texas
Vivian Catrice Coleman, Laredo – J. W. Nixon High School
Sohum Makarand Kulkarni, Dallas – Parish Episcopal School
Christopher Zollino Lloyd, San Antonio – Alamo Heights High School
Ryan McCord, Dallas – St. Mark’s School of Texas*
Utah
Taylor Fang, Logan – Logan High School
Moses Giles Samuelson-Lynn, West Valley City – Samuelson-Lynn Home School
Emma Grace Sun, Sandy – The Waterford School
Vermont
Nisha Shah, So Burlington – South Burlington High School
Henry Wu, Essex Junction – Essex High School
Virginia
Colter Adams, Falls Church – George Mason High School
William B Calli, Woodbridge – Woodbridge Senior High School**
Sophia Eileen Tedesco, McLean – George C. Marshall High School
Washington
Emily Lei Du, Bellevue – Interlake High School
Courtjoseph Melang Saunders, Richland – Kamiakin High School
Lauren Stubbs, LaCrosse – LaCrosse High School**
Madelynn Jae Wagner, Odessa – Odessa High School**
West Virginia
Kayli Madison Mann, Lerona – Pikeview High School
William Ryan Tobin, Fairmont – Fairmont Senior High School
Wisconsin
Dayi Ethan Dong, Madison – West High School
Sanjana Reddy Peddagorla, Brookfield – Brookfield East High School
Wyoming
Megan Ruth Dufault, Jackson – Jackson Hole High School
Sam D. Miller, Laramie – Laramie High School