U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos today announced the 54th class of U.S. Presidential Scholars, recognizing 161 high school seniors for their accomplishments in academics, the arts and career and technical education fields.

"I want to congratulate this year's class of Presidential Scholars on their achievement and also thank their parents, teachers and other academic advisors who have helped guide them along the way," said U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos. "These students have pushed themselves to be the best they can be, and I am certain that devotion will serve them well as they continue their individual learning journeys."

The White House Commission on Presidential Scholars selects scholars annually based on their academic success, artistic 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 5,200 candidates qualified for the 2018 awards determined by outstanding performance on the College Board SAT and ACT exams, through nominations made by Chief State School Officers, other partner recognition organizations or the National YoungArts Foundation's nationwide YoungArts™ competition.

The 2018 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 from U.S. families living abroad, as well as 15 chosen at-large, 20 U.S. Presidential Scholars in the Arts and 20 U.S. Presidential Scholars in Career and Technical Education.

Created in 1964, the U.S. Presidential Scholars Program has honored almost 7,500 of the nation's top-performing students with the prestigious award given to honorees during the annual ceremony in Washington. 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 2018 ceremony will be held June 24, when each honoree will receive a Presidential Scholar Medallion.

A complete list of 2018 U.S. Presidential Scholars follows and is also available at http://www.ed.gov/psp.

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[*] An asterisk indicates a Presidential Scholar in the Arts [**] Two asterisks indicate a Presidential Scholar in Career and Technical Education

Alabama

AL - Dylan E. Campbell, Mobile - McGill-Toolen Catholic High School [**] AL - Zackery C. Love, Talladega - Talladega High School AL - Sarah Zhao, Birmingham - Vestavia Hills High School

Alaska

AK - Birch J. Boyer, Anchorage - Polaris K-12 School AK - Ana Stringer, Barrow - Barrow High School

American Abroad

AA - Ayden J. Kemp, APO - Ramstein American High School AA - Mansi Totwani, St. Thomas - Antilles School

Arizona

AZ - Seoyoon Kim, Phoenix - BASIS Peoria [**] AZ - Lana H. Mohamed, Peoria - Centennial High School AZ - Aditya Sivakumar, Phoenix - BASIS PHOENIX

Arkansas

AR - Jon C. Boekhout, Hot Springs - Hot Springs World Class High School AR - Anika Mittal, Blytheville - KIPP Blytheville Collegiate High School [**] AR - Ashley Turner, Maumelle - Maumelle High School

California

CA - Maggie S. Chen, San Diego - Canyon Crest Academy [*] CA - Jacqueline He, San Jose - Harker School CA - Jake Kim, Newbury Park - Westlake High School [*] CA - Sanna Legan, Los Angeles - New Roads School [*] CA - Anilee List, Los Angeles - Los Angeles County High School for the Arts CA - Advait Patil, San Jose - Lynbrook High School

Colorado

CO - Siddharth M. Mane, Greenwood Village - Cherry Creek High School CO - Isani Singh, Aurora - Cherry Creek High School CO - Chelsea Wang, Fort Collins - Fossil Ridge High School

Connecticut

CT - Cole Marcuccio, Canton - Canton Jr-Sr High School CT - Michelle Woo, Riverside - Greenwich High School

Delaware

DE - Michael Z. Chen, Newark - Newark Charter Junior/Senior High School DE - Grace Gong, Newark - Charter School of Wilmington

District of Columbia

DC - Michael Adeyi, Washington - Sidwell Friends School DC - Samantha C. O'Sullivan, Washington - School Without Walls

Florida

FL - Sidhika Balachandar, Gainesville - Buchholz High School [*] FL - James Balo, Miami - Design & Architecture Senior High School [*] FL - Elena Gonzalez, Cutler Bay - New World School of the Arts [*] FL - Ishmael Gonzalez, Hialeah - New World School of the Arts [**] FL - Caroline Hanson, Youngstown - Deane Bozeman School FL - Tamim Kawakibi, Pensacola - Pensacola High School FL - Grant J. LoPresti, Lutz - George M. Steinbrenner High School

Georgia

GA - Keaton P. Coletti, Bogart - North Oconee High School GA - Paul M. Matesevac, Lawrenceville - Collins Hill High School GA - Minjung Yu, Watkinsville - Oconee County High School

Hawaii

HI - Mylia H. Briggs, Kapolei - Kapolei High School HI - Davey Huang, Honolulu - Iolani School HI - Isabelle J. Rhee, Honolulu - Punahou School

Idaho

ID - Jack A. Lauer, Boise - Boise High School ID - Tia T. Vierling, Moscow - Moscow High School

Illinois

[**] IL - Connor K. Erbsen, Lanark - Eastland High District 308 [*] IL - David Hou, Hawthorn Woods - Adlai E. Stevenson High School IL - Ibraheem Khan, Chicago - Northside College Preparatory High School IL - Audrey Pettigrew, Chicago - Walter Payton College Preparatory School

Indiana

IN - Susan Chen, Fort Wayne - Homestead High School [**] IN - Lane Hilgenhold, Tell City - Perry Central Community School IN - Harrison Knable, New Albany - New Albany High School

Iowa

[**] IA - Hermela Gebremariam, Fairfield - Fairfield Community High School IA - Caleb L. Lines, Nashua - Nashua Plainfield High School IA - Sophia Xiao, Bettendorf - Pleasant Valley High School

Kansas

KS - Gabriel J. Gress, Overland Park - Blue Valley High School KS - Neeharika Kothapalli, Overland Park - Blue Valley West High School

Kentucky

[*] KY - Aaron Choate, Lexington - Lafayette Senior High School KY - Kasey C. Fields, Lexington - Lafayette Senior High School KY - Zsombor T. Gal, Lexington - Paul Laurence Dunbar High School KY - David W. Ma, Lexington - Paul Laurence Dunbar High School

Louisiana

LA - Erina M. Buchholz, Baton Rouge - Baton Rouge Magnet High School LA - Dakota W. Simpson, Shreveport - Caddo Parish Magnet High School

Maine

ME - Gregory A. Pershing, Cumberland - Greely High School ME - Grace E. Roberts, South Portland - Cape Elizabeth High School

Maryland

MD - Sreya Vangara, Germantown - Poolesville Senior High School MD - Michael Yin, Rockville - Montgomery Blair High School

Massachusetts

MA - Samantha C. Alves, Mansfield - Noble and Greenough School MA - Moriah G. Lim, North Attleboro - North Attleboro High School

Michigan

MI - Tanner L. Bonner, Dearborn Heights - Annapolis High School [*] MI - Nathan Ginter, Kalamazoo - Interlochen Arts Academy [**] MI - Mikal Goodman, Pontiac - Arts and Technology of Pontiac [**] MI - Caitlin Henne, Eaton Rapids - Springport High School MI - Neha Seshadri, Ann Arbor - Skyline High School [**] MI - Veena Thamilselvan, Farmington Hills - Harrison High School

Minnesota

MN - Julia B. Luehr, Chanhassen - Minnetonka High School MN - Hyun Soo Song, Edina - Breck School

Mississippi

MS - Tyler A. Jackson, Gulfport - Saint Patrick Catholic High School MS - Wei Li, Vancleave - Vancleave High School

Missouri

MO - Alexander W. Donovan, Chesterfield - Mary Institute and St. Louis Country Day School MO - Michelle Li, Ballwin - Marquette High School

Montana

[**] MT - Tyler Noyes, Toston - Broadwater High School MT - Devin J. Seyler, Clancy - Helena High School MT - Emma G. Sihler, Helena - Helena High School

Nebraska

[**] NE - Hunter Guru, Lincoln - Lincoln East High School NE - Jae Hyun Lim, Lincoln - Lincoln Southwest High School NE - Jenna Y. Mu, Omaha - Brownell-Talbot School

Nevada

NV - Andrew T. Wang, Henderson - Clark High School [*] NV - Alisha M. Yi, Las Vegas - Clark High School NV - Leah Yim, Las Vegas - West Career and Technical Academy

New Hampshire

NH - Vinjai S. Vale, Exeter - Phillips Exeter Academy NH - Tiffany White, Barnstead - Prospect Mountain High School

New Jersey

NJ - Katherine Dai, Glen Rock - Academy for Medical Science Technology NJ - Isaac Hart, Glen Rock - Glen Rock High School [*] NJ - Noah Lee, Oakland - Don Bosco Preparatory High School [**] NJ - Alexandra Poret, Sparta - Sparta High School [**] NJ - Deven Singh, Manalapan - Monmouth Academy of Allied Health & Sciences

New Mexico

NM - Alexandra K. Mauritsen, Artesia - Artesia High School NM - Jorrell Mirabal, Magdalena - Magdalena High School

New York

NY - Jade Carvalho, Smithtown - Hauppauge High School NY - Charles T. Curnin, Rye - Rye Country Day School Upper School

North Carolina

NC - Nithya S. Adusumilli, Cary - Raleigh Charter High School NC - Ronak Bhagia, Charlotte - Providence Day School NC - Jack M. Swanson, Morganton - Freedom High School [*] NC - Jace A. Weyant, Clemmons - North Carolina School of the Arts

North Dakota

ND - Marissa R. Diggs, Oakes - Oakes High School [**] ND - Brianna D. Maddock, Davenport - Kindred High School ND - Nidhi T. Mahale, Fargo - Davies High School ND - Isaac S. Spanjer, Fargo - North High School

Ohio

OH - Nathaniel J. Boerner, Cincinnati - Boerner Home School [*] OH - Natalie Choo, Cincinnati - Seven Hills Upper School OH - Emily G. Dietz, Zanesville - Maysville High School OH - Nicholas D. Maxwell, Granville - Granville High School [*] OH - Shreyah Mohanselvan, New Albany - Columbus Academy

Oklahoma

OK - Michael P. Gehr, Edmond - Heritage Hall Upper School OK - Michael Mandanas, Edmond - Heritage Hall Upper School OK - Jamie E. Marrara, Claremore - Oologah High School

Oregon

OR - Brian Josephson, Medford - South Medford High School [*] OR - Ameya Okamoto, Portland - The Catlin Gabel School OR - Raley Schweinfurth, Portland - Oregon Episcopal School

Pennsylvania

PA - Aryaman Khandelwal, Breinigsville - Parkland High School [*] PA - William McGregor, Malvern - PA Leadership Charter School PA - Pranshu Suri, Bryn Mawr - The Baldwin School

Puerto Rico

PR - Diego F. Gonzalez-Lizardi, San Juan - St. John's School PR - Cristina M. Trapaga, Dorado - Tasis School in Dorado

Rhode Island

RI - Portia T. Gaitskell, Barrington - Lincoln School [**] RI - Sherenté M. Harris, Charlestown - Metro Regional Career & Tech Center RI - Jordan C. Kimia, Providence - Classical High School

South Carolina

[*] SC - Aidan Forster, Taylors - South Carolina Governor's School for Arts & Humanities SC - Robert D. Rush, Conway - Conway High School SC - Jenny J. Yao, Mount Pleasant - Academic Magnet High School

South Dakota

[**] SD - Bridger J. Gordon, Whitewood - Sturgis High School SD - Oscar Kavanagh, Brookings - Brookings High School SD - Ruhama Tereda, Sioux Falls - Washington High School

Tennessee

TN - Rachel M. Fan, Memphis - White Station High School TN - Chapman D. Finn, Franklin - Battle Ground Academy

Texas

TX - Micheal Brown, Houston - Mirabeau B Lamar Senior High School TX - Katherine Lei, Plano Senior High School - Plano Senior High School TX - Sonesh Patel, Austin - Vandegrift High School TX - Syamantak Payra, Friendswood - Clear Brook High School [*] TX - Emir Price, Dallas - Booker T. Washington High School for the Performing & Visual Arts TX - Mikayla C. Slaydon, San Augustine - San Augustine High School

Utah

[**] UT - Kael Berkley, Heber City - Wasatch High School [**] UT - Lydia Day, Orem - Timpanogos High School UT - Annelisa Kingsbury-Lee, Salt Lake City - West High School UT - Riley J. Lewis, Payson - Salem Hills High School [**] UT - Kanishka Ragula, Salt Lake City - Skyline High School

Vermont

VT - Mary C. Markley, Burlington - Burlington High School VT - Walker C. Randall, Waitsfield - Harwood Union High School

Virginia

VA - Kavya Kopparapu, Herndon - Thomas Jefferson High School for Science & Technology VA - Mihir Patel, Great Falls - Thomas Jefferson High School for Science & Technology VA - Marissa Sumathipala, Ashburn - Broad Run High School

Washington

WA - Dana Berejka, Mercer Island - Mercer Island High School WA - Grant Hugh, Shoreline - Lakeside School

West Virginia

WV - Brady D. Hanshaw, Charleston - Sissonville High School WV - Vinitha Joseph, Morgantown - Morgantown High School

Wisconsin

WI - Charles X. Hua, Middleton - West High School [*] WI - Xavier Lightfoot, Milwaukee - Pius XI Catholic High School WI - Nabeel J. Quryshi, Mequon - University School of Milwaukee [*] WI - Julian Rhee, Brookfield - Brookfield East High School WI - Sophia F. Sun, Brookfield - Brookfield Central High School

Wyoming

WY - Harriet W. Pimentel, Powell - Powell High School WY - Rhett Pimentel, Powell - Powell High School