Six high school seniors from Montgomery County are in rare company. They are semifinalists in this year’s U.S. Presidential Scholars Program. The Maryland Department of Education announced the news on Monday.
The program, first established in 1964, honors the country’s most distinguished graduating high school seniors. In 1979, the program was extended to students who demonstrate exceptional talent in the visual, creative, and performing arts. The program expanded again in 2015 to honor students who demonstrate ability and accomplishment in career and technical education fields.
Scholars from Around the Country
There are 621 semifinalists from around the country. The Department of Education will name 161 finalists in the coming months. The Department will choose the finalists based on a number of factors. They include academic and artistic achievement, career and technical education success, leadership, and school and community involvement.
“These students are among the best of the best in Maryland and nationally,” said Dr. Carey Wright, State Superintendent of Schools.
“We are incredibly proud of their success as semifinalists in the U.S. Presidential Scholars Program and extend our best wishes for the final round of the selection process,” he added.
Semifinalists from Montgomery and Howard Counties
Besides the six students from Montgomery County, five students from Howard County also represent the state as semifinalists.
Here are the names of the students from Montgomery County:
- Luc Beck is from Bethesda and is a student at Sidwell Friends School.
- Katherine Hua is from Rockville and attends Wootton High School.
- Myla Leung is from Potomac and is a student at Churchill High School.
- Yunyi Ling is from Potomac and attends Blair High School.
- Karthik Vedula is from Boyds and is a student at Poolesville High School.
- Annie Zhao is from Clarksburg and attends Poolesville High School
Finalists from 2024
Last year, Maryland had four U.S. Presidential Scholars. Two of the finalists were from Montgomery County. Maximilian Belyantsev and Angelina Xu both graduated from Richard Montgomery High School.
