Seven Bay Area high schoolers have been named 2023 U.S. Presidential Scholars, an honor awarded to only 161 students in the nation.
Three were honored for general academic excellence:
- Annmaria K. Antony, San Jose, Harker School
- Elane Kim, Walnut Creek, Stanford University Online High School
- Aaron Hieu Tran, Morgan Hill, Ann Sobrato High School
Three were honored for excellence in the arts:
- Zoe Wijesekara Dorado, Castro Valley, Castro Valley High School (writing)
- Miranda A. Lu, San Jose, Leland High School (visual arts)
- Gavin Ray Trotmore, Berkeley, Berkeley High School (design arts)
One was honored for excellence in career or technical education:
- Sezen S. Musa, Sunnyvale, Wilcox High School (Family, Career and Community Leaders of America)
The awards were announced this week by the U.S. Education Department. The list of semifinalists, released last month, included 16 Bay Area students.
Those in the general academic division qualify through SAT or ACT scores and are invited to submit a packet detailing their school performance. Those in the arts and career/tech divisions are nominated by school officials or the YoungArts program.
In the academic division, two students – a boy and a girl – are chosen from each state, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and from among Americans living abroad, and up to 15 more are selected at large. In each of the other two divisions, 20 students are selected.
The honor does not include a cash scholarship, although many of the winners have received National Merit Scholarships. They do get a trip to Washington, D.C., for the awards ceremony.
Southern California had five winners, all in the arts division.
The full list:
Alaska
Jackson Powell Church, Anchorage – Bettye Davis East Anchorage High School
Lillian Yang, Anchorage – West Anchorage High School
Arizona
Rachana R. Gurudu, Phoenix – BASIS Scottsdale
Tyler Ming-Fei Tam, Paradise Valley – Phoenix Country Day School
Zakiriya Hilal Alem Gladney, Tucson – University High School (arts: photography)
Tej Sandeep Desai, Phoenix – Paradise Valley High School (career/tech)
Arkansas
Sydney Elizabeth Massey, Little Rock – eStem High Public Charter School
Mariam Tariq Parray, Little Rock – Pulaski Academy
Neil Sash, Conway – Episcopal Collegiate School
California
Annmaria K. Antony, San Jose – Harker School
Elane Kim, Walnut Creek – Stanford University Online High School
Aaron Hieu Tran, Morgan Hill – Ann Sobrato High School
Zoe Wijesekara Dorado, Castro Valley – Castro Valley High School (arts: writing)
Raisa B. Effress, Los Angeles – Harvard-Westlake School (arts: photography)
Alejandro T. Lombard, Van Nuys – Harvard-Westlake School (arts: film)
Miranda A. Lu, San Jose – Leland High School (arts: visual arts)
Lauren Mei, Irvine – Orange County High School of the Arts (arts: theater)
Sophia Ann Rabin, Newport Beach – Corona Del Mar High School (arts: voice)
Fallon Carys Sungah Ryu-Dern, Los Angeles – Harvard-Westlake School CA (arts: film)
Gavin Ray Trotmore, Berkeley – Berkeley High School (arts: design arts)
Sezen S. Musa, Sunnyvale – Adrian C. Wilcox High School (career/tech)
Colorado
Dana Ko, Colorado Springs – Pine Creek High School
Karthik Reddy, Westminster – Fairview High School
Katherine Jordan Little, Denver – Thomas Jefferson High School (career/tech)
Connecticut
Ambika Grover, Riverside – Greenwich High School
Lukas Koutsoukos, Wilton – Wilton High School
Delaware
Suhani Bhatt, Newark – Newark Charter School
Tatyana Rashid, Newark – MOT Charter School, High School Campus
Carter B. Ross, Wilmington – Wilmington Friends School
Samra Iman Iqbal, Dover – Caesar Rodney High School (career/tech)
Puiyee Kong, Dover – Caesar Rodney High School (career/tech)
District of Columbia
Sophia Hall, Washington – Holton-Arms School
Saul Villatoro, Washington – Francis L. Cardozo High School
Florida
Ishika Nag, Oviedo – Oviedo High School
Kiran C. Spencer, Delray Beach – American Heritage School Boca/Delray
Luke Linxiao Yang, Palmetto Bay – Miami Palmetto Senior High School
Georgia
Michelle Li, Watkinsville – North Oconee High School
Jack Xu, Marietta – George Walton High School
Aira Dani, Suwanee – Northview High School (career/tech)
Sahil Sood, Duluth – Lambert High School (career/tech)
Hawaii
Annabel Kinsey, Honolulu – Iolani School
Holden Michael Schermer, Honolulu – Iolani School
Vaeanui Paiarii Peck, Kaaawa – Kahuku High School (career/tech)
Idaho
Shiva Aaron Rajbhandari, Boise – Boise High School
Claire S. Yoo, Idaho Falls – Idaho Falls High School
Illinois
Emmet Jeremiah Ebels Duggan, Evanston – Evanston Township High School
Yina Wang, Naperville – Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy
Maxwell L. Neri, Naperville – Waubonsie Valley High School (career/tech)
Indiana
Archit Kalra, Carmel – Carmel High School
Amogha Medha Paleru, Carmel – Carmel High School
Bayan Yunis, Fort Wayne – Carroll High School (arts: photography)
Iowa
Claire Gu, West Des Moines – Valley High School
Tejas Kishan Gururaja, Cedar Rapids – Linn-Mar High School
Alaina Marie Whittington, Diagonal – Diagonal Jr-Sr High School
Eshaan S. Chandani, Johnston – Johnston High School (career/tech)
Kansas
Luke Wen-Tsu Chen, Overland Park – Blue Valley North High School
Elizabeth Rushing Place, Leawood – Blue Valley North High School
Kentucky
Arnav Dharmagadda, Russell – Russell High School
Beatriz Oliveira Antunes, Bowling Green – South Warren High School
Cecelia Ann Rogers, Bardstown – Nelson County High School (career/tech)
Louisiana
Ananya Bhatia, Shreveport – Caddo Parish Magnet High School
Daniel Z. Liu, Baton Rouge – Baton Rouge Magnet High School
Khalil J. McKnight, Ponchatoula – Hammond High School (arts: visual arts)
Maine
Patrick Michael Wahlig, Falmouth – Falmouth High School
Coco Leqi Xu, Falmouth – Falmouth High School
Maryland
Maya Naomi Lall, Bethesda – Holton-Arms School
Andrew Z. Yuan, Boyds – Poolesville Senior High School
Cassidy May Reigel, Manchester – Baltimore School for the Arts MD (arts: dance)
Massachusetts
Sol Kim, Westford – Phillips Academy
Ranjana Ramesh, N. Chelmsford – Central Catholic High School
Katherine E. Liu, Wellesley – Wellesley High School (arts: classical music)
Henry C. Knox, East Falmouth – Upper Cape Cod Regional Vocational High School (career/tech)
Alijandro Ian Mendoza, Worcester – Worcester Vocational High School (career/tech)
Michigan
Simar Bhatia, Portage – Portage Central High School
Adnan Mahir Khan, Bloomfield Hills – International Academy
Minnesota
Stavya Arora, Maple Grove – Maple Grove Senior High School
Matthew Chen, Maple Grove – Wayzata High School
Mississippi
Madison G. Echols, Hattiesburg – Mississippi School for Mathematics & Science
Leo Mei, Madison – Madison Central High School
Missouri
Diep H. Phan, Farmington – Farmington High School
Max Yang, Saint Louis – Ladue Horton Watkins High School
Hannah N. Rice, Brunswick – Brunswick R-II High School (career/tech)
Montana
Jessie Bough, Big Sky – Lone Peak High School
Marten Cooper Hartshorn, Bozeman – Bozeman High School
Nebraska
Abhirup Chandra Are, Omaha – Millard North High School
Sarah Jane Wood, Omaha – Millard North High School
Nevada
Amy Choi, Las Vegas – The Meadows School
Troy Warren Harris, Henderson – Clark High School
Amy Park, Las Vegas – West Career and Technical Academy (career/tech)
New Hampshire
Aaron Joy, Dover – Phillips Exeter Academy
Sora S. Shirai, Hanover – Hanover High School
New Jersey
Sebastián N. Anderson, Ho-Ho-Kus – Northern Highlands Regional High School
Camryn Nicole Bartone, Howell – Freehold Township High School
Katherine Chen, Mountain Lakes – Mountain Lakes High School
Ian Liu, Cedar Knolls – Packer Collegiate Institute
Andrew C. Noviello, Bridgewater – Lawrenceville School
Christopher Y. Shin, Cherry Hill – Cherry Hill High School East (arts: classical music)
New Mexico
Emma Elizabeth Clayton, Rio Rancho – The ASK Academy
Brian L. Han, Los Alamos – Los Alamos High School
New York
Samara Baksh, Flushing – The Spence School
Sabrina Guo, Oyster Bay – Syosset High School
Samantha Maya Milewicz, Armonk – Byram Hills High School
Kevin Zhu, Old Westbury – Jericho Senior High School
George Porteous, New York – The Dalton School (arts: theater)
North Carolina
Clara Cecilia Brodey, Chapel Hill – East Chapel Hill High School
Nipun Gorantla, Matthews – Marvin Ridge High School
Georgia Elizabeth Greene, Kings Mountain – Cleveland Innovation Academy (arts: dance)
Josiah Hailey Young, Harrisburg – Hickory Ridge High School (career/tech)
North Dakota
Srinath B. Kandooru, Bismarck – Century High School
Annelise Klein, Bismarck – Century High School
Kaylee Mae Kirkeby, Grand Forks – Grand Forks Central High School (career/tech)
Ohio
Pranav Sompalle, Highland Heights – Mayfield High School
Sanjana M. Velu, Mason – William Mason High School
Jay G. Patel, West Chester Township – Butler Tech Bioscience Center (career/tech)
Oklahoma
Jeffrey Connor Evans, Oklahoma City – Casady School
Lindsay Flores, Oklahoma City – Western Heights High School
Joyce Yang, Bartlesville – Bartlesville High School
Oregon
Caroline Xingyan Gao, Albany – West Albany High School
Rishab K. Jain, Portland – Westview High School
Pennsylvania
Hannah Gao, Wynnewood – Harriton High School
William L. Pan, Chester Springs – Downingtown High School-East Campus
Vibha Janakiraman, West Chester – PA Leadership Charter School (arts: classical music)
Rhode Island
Julia Martins, Cranston – The Greene School
Cayetano Sanchez IV, East Greenwich – East Greenwich High School
South Carolina
Cam Srivastava, Spartanburg – Spartanburg Day School
Cathy Tang, Columbia – Spring Valley High School
South Dakota
Evelyn Violet Haar, Rapid City – Stevens Senior High School
Andrew J. Nguyen, Sioux Falls – Sioux Falls Jefferson High School
Tennessee
Mara Wren Klein, Sevierville – Gatlinburg-Pittman High School
Nate Martinez, Thompsons Station – Independence High School
Texas
Zhuo Qi Chen, Spring – The Woodlands College Park High School
Hannah Guan, San Antonio – BASIS San Antonio Shavano Campus
Siddhu Pachipala, The Woodlands – The Woodlands College Park High School
Zariyah M. Perry, Dallas – Booker T. Washington High School for the Performing & Visual Arts (arts: theater)
Cole Willis, Dallas – Booker T. Washington High School for the Performing & Visual Arts (arts: film)
Utah
Michael Ogden Chen, Salt Lake City – Hillcrest High School
Priyanka Mathews, Salt Lake City – Hillcrest High School
Aaron Wang, Salt Lake City – Skyline High School (career/tech)
Vermont
Adowyn Mulligan Byrne, Essex – Essex High School
Samuel John Yager, Williston – Champlain Valley Union High School
Virginia
Emma E. Cox, McLean – Thomas Jefferson High School for Science & Technology
Teja Koduru, Fairfax – Thomas Jefferson High School for Science & Technology
Emily Ocasio, Falls Church – New School Northern Virginia
Mayra Rios, Vienna – James Madison High School
Mira Iris Kim, Fairfax – Thomas Jefferson High School for Science & Technology (arts: classical music)
Washington
Lora Kwon, Redmond – Redmond High School
Arihant Singh, Sammamish – Nikola Tesla STEM High School
West Virginia
Dalton S. Cook, Lynco – Westside High School
Rania Zuri, Morgantown – Morgantown High School
Isabella Mackenzie Herrod, Shinnston – Liberty High School (career/tech)
Wisconsin
Ananya Bhatt, Brookfield – Brookfield Central High School
Saskatoon Robert Fuzz Damm, Medford – Medford Area Senior High School
Ethan Mark Zentner, Glendale – Nicolet High School
Wyoming
Cameron Nicholas Reckard, Sheridan – Sheridan High School
Audrey Su-Wai Yeung, Laramie – Laramie High School
Puerto Rico
Alia Sofia Marrero-Alttar, Dorado – St. John’s School
Jose Antonio Puig Camacho, Dorado – Tasis School in Dorado
Americans abroad
Jin Z. Chung, Tumon – St. John’s School
Ashley Zhou, Beijing – St. Paul’s School