Eight local students selected as candidates for Presidential Scholars Program

Press release from Alachua County Public Schools

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Eight Alachua County Public School students have been selected as candidates for the United States Presidential Scholars Program.

The program, which is sponsored by the White House Commission on Presidential Scholars and the U.S. Department of Education, was established fifty years ago this year to recognize the nation’s most distinguished graduating seniors.

The district received notification that Richard Feng, William Guan, Hailey Lin, Kelsey Morey, Nathan Wei, and Emmanuel Zheng from Buchholz High School and Cadien Archer and Kathleen Ferrer from Gainesville High School are among the 4,000 candidates chosen from across the nation based on their exceptionally high scores on the SAT or ACT college entrance exams. 

The eight are now eligible for selection as one of approximately 650 Presidential Scholar semifinalists for 2024. Application is by invitation only, and candidates confirm their interest by submitting candidacy materials, including essays, self-assessments, secondary school reports, and transcripts for review. The names of semifinalists will be announced in early April. A month later, up to 161 students will be named U.S. Presidential Scholars, which the Department of Education says is “one of the nation’s highest honors for high school students.”

Alachua County Public Schools has had a Presidential Scholar semifinalist in 10 of the past 11 years, as well as two students selected as Presidential Scholars in the same time frame.

“We are immensely proud of these students for the amazing accomplishments that have earned them this recognition,” said Shane Andrew, Superintendent of Alachua County Public Schools. “Their achievements not only reflect their individual dedication and talent but also Alachua County’s tradition of academic excellence.”

  • Again, another great news story about students putting in the hard work to make it happen.

    Amazing.

  • The selection process is obviously as rigged as the 2020 Presidential election. The students selected do not properly reflect the diversity of the county school district. The selection must be redone.

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