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| L-R ( Dorothy Grace Smith and Matthew White) |
Congratulations to Dorothy Grace Smith and Matthew White for being named candidates for the 2016 U.S. Presidential Scholars Program, which recognizes and honors some of the nation's most distinguished graduating high school seniors.
The United States Presidential Scholars Program was established in 1964, by Executive Order of the President, to recognize and honor some of our Nation's most distinguished graduating high school seniors. In 2015, the program was again extended to recognize students who demonstrate ability and accomplishment in career and technical education fields. Each year, up to 161 students are named as Presidential Scholars, one of the nation's highest honors for high school students.
Both students are National Merit Scholarship semifinalists and participate in a magnet program for high achievers. Smith won third place Grand Award in the Behavioral and Social Sciences Category for her research on Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder in veterans at the 2015 International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF). For her hours of volunteer work, including knitting 150 hats to be given to premature babies at a Children’s Hospital, she was awarded a Congressional Award Gold Medal in 2015. White earned perfect scores of 800 on the critical reading and math sections of the SAT. He is also the leader of the Board and Card Game Club.
In mid-April, Smith and White will learn if they are among the 800 students who will be named semifinalists. The U.S. Presidential Scholars will be announced in mid-May, and winners will be honored in Washington, D.C. Application to the program is by invitation only. Students are selected based on broad academic achievement; academic and artistic scholarship in the visual arts, the performing arts or creative writing; or outstanding scholarship and accomplishment in career and technical education fields.