Two members of the Hathaway Brown Class of 2016 have been named 2016 U.S. Presidential Scholars. This prestigious honor is reserved for only roughly 150 graduating high school seniors in the United States each year. Kavya Ravichandran '16 and Isabella Nilsson '16 will be honored for their academic accomplishments through the National Recognition Program and they will be guests of the U.S. Department of Education at a special ceremony in June. They'll each receive an all-expenses-paid trip to the nation's capital to meet with government officials and educators, and to commemorate the achievement, the Scholars will be greeted by the President of the United States, and they will receive Presidential Scholar Medallions at a ceremony sponsored by the White House.
Established in 1964, the U.S. Presidential Scholars Program was created by Executive Order of the President to recognize and honor some of our nation's most distinguished students graduating from high school. The Scholars represent "excellence in education and the promise of greatness in young people."
Participation in the U.S. Presidential Scholars program is by invitation only. Students do not apply individually, nor do their schools nominate them. Kavya was identified for the program based on her high ACT and SAT scores, and Isabella was nominated by the National YoungArts Foundation after excelling in the organization's creative writing curriculum during National YoungArts Week, which took place in Miami in January.
Hathaway Brown is proud to be the alma mater of six past U.S. Presidential Scholars as well: Alyssa Bryan '13, Laney Kuenzel '08, Amy Hollinger '05, Edith Hines '00, Caroline Campbell '98, and Genevieve Mathieson Kilmer '96. This year marks the first time that two members of the same HB graduating class have been tapped for this honor.
To learn more about the U.S. Presidential Scholars Program and for the complete list of this year's scholars, visit the U.S. Department of Education website: http://1.usa.gov/1beUJXq.