12 Vestavia Hills High School students were recently named as candidates for the U.S. Presidential Scholars Program. They are Anna Parker, Mary Cook, Ruth Dismukes, Siyin Han, Silin Li, Wendi Lu, Ziqi Wang, Sophie Wu, Austin Owen, Jimmy Liu, Andrew Lin and Emma Jackson.
The U.S. Presidential Scholars Program was established in 1964 to recognize and honor some of the nation’s most distinguished graduating high school seniors. In 1979, the program was extended to recognize students who demonstrate exceptional talent in the visual, creative and performing arts. Each year, up to 141 students are named as U.S. Presidential Scholars. Around 3,000 candidates are identified for the academic component of the program, based on having scored exceptionally well on the SAT or ACT. All scholars are honored for their accomplishments during the National Recognition Program held in June in Washington, D.C.