U.S. Secretary of Education Dr. He is among 161 Indian-American high school students elected to the 58th class of US Presidential Scholars, announced by Miguel Cardona on May 12. Scholars are selected annually by the White House’s Presidential Scholars Commission. academic achievement, artistic and technical excellence, essays, school evaluations and transcripts, as well as a demonstrated commitment to community service and leadership.
“Our 2022 Presidential Scholars represent America’s best and remind us that there are no limits to what our youth can achieve when empowered by education,” Cardona said in a press release by the U.S. Department of Education. “Today, I join President Biden to celebrate a class of academics whose quest for knowledge, generosity of spirit, and exceptional talents have brought tremendous pride to our nation. During one of the most challenging times in our nation’s history and in the midst of our recovery from the pandemic, our students once again demonstrated their strength and that they have much to add to our country. Thanks to them, I know America’s future is bright.”
The U.S. Presidential Scholars Program was established in 1964 by executive order of the president to recognize and honor some of our nation’s most outstanding high school graduates. In 1979 the program was expanded to recognize students who demonstrate exceptional talent in the visual, creative and performing arts. In 2015, the program was expanded again to reward students who demonstrate aptitude and achievement in career and technical education.
Indian American scientists include:
arizona
Salil Naik, Mountain Ridge High School, Glendale
California
Reva Srivastava, Mission San Jose High School, Fremont
Colorado
Rishika Kartik, St. Mary’s Academy High School, Highlands Ranch
Connecticut
Aditya Kabra, East Lyme High School, Niantic
Maya Prafulla Shah Palanki, Conard High School, West Hartford
Delaware
Arjan Singh Kahlon, Wilmington, Hockessin Charter School
Sreeya Pittala, Newark Charter Middle/Senior High, Newark
Florida
Sandhya Kumar, Lawton Chiles High School, Tallahassee
Georgia
Ayush G. Gundawar, South Forsyth High School, Cumming
Illinois
Jui Khankari, Hinsdale County High School Central, Oak Brook
Rishi Patel, Waubonsie Valley High School, Naperville
Jaisnav Rajesh, Waubonsie Valley High School, Naperville
Piya Shah, Waubonsie Valley High School, Naperville
Iowa
Kavya Kalathur, Pleasant Valley Community High School, Bettendorf
kansas
Shekhar Kumar Gugnani, Fort Scott High School, Fort Scott
Gauri Yadav, Olathe North High School, Overland Park
Louisiana
Ashini Modi, Caddo Parish Magnet High School, Shreveport
Maine
Sirohi G. Kumar, Mount Desert Island High School, Bar Harbor
Maryland
Dhruv Bhandarkar Pai, Montgomery Blair High School, Potomac
Minnesota
Dedeepya Guthikonda, Edina High School, Minneapolis
Mississippi
Dia Chawla, Pillow Academy, Greenwood
north carolina
Dheepthi Mohanraj, North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics, Chapel Hill
Oklahoma
Aishwarya Swamidurai, Classen School of Advanced Studies, Oklahoma City
Pennsylvania
Adamya Aggarwal, Haverford School, Bryn Mawr
Texas
Siddh Bamb, Academy of Liberal Arts and Sciences, Austin
Utah
Malavika G Singh, West High School, Salt Lake City
vermont
Sriram Sethuraman, South Burlington High School, South Burlington
Virginia
Uma Pillai, Potomac Falls High School, Potomac Falls
Wisconsin
Ananya Krishna, James Madison Memorial High School, Verona
