7 Wilton Seniors Candidates For U.S. Presidential Scholars Program

WILTON, CT — Seven Wilton students have been selected as candidates for the United States Presidential Scholars Program.

Justine Biersack, Garret Bouvier, Avni Gupta, Gayathri Kaimal, Lukas Koutsoukos and Joshua Zheng from Wilton High School; and John Sullivan, a student at St. Luke's School in New Canaan have been recognized based on broad academic achievement and having scored exceptionally well on the SAT or ACT.

The program was established in 1964 by Executive Order of President Lyndon Johnson to recognize and honor some of the country's most distinguished graduating high school seniors.

Each year, up to 161 students are named as Presidential Scholars, one of the nation's highest honors for high school students.

In 1979, according to the U.S. Department of Education website, the program was extended to recognize students who demonstrate exceptional talent in the visual, creative 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 names of the semifinalists will be posted in mid-April. The names of the 2023 U.S. Presidential Scholars will be posted in early May.

Students don't receive monetary awards. Instead, scholars are awarded the U.S. Presidential Scholars medallion.

For more information on the program, go to the U.S. Department of Education website.