Four Deerfield Seniors Named US Presidential Scholar Candidates

DEERFIELD, IL — Four Deerfield seniors have been named candidates to become part of the 2020 class of U.S. Presidential Scholars. Out of an estimated 3.7 million students expected to graduate high school this year, about 4,000 were invited to apply for the prestigious honor this week by the White House Commission on Presidential Scholars.

Former President Lyndon Johnson established the U.S. Presidential Scholars Program with a 1964 executive order, according to the U.S. Department of Education. In 1979, it was expanded to include Presidential Scholars in the Arts honors, and again in 2015 to Presidential Scholars in Career and Technical Education. Application is by invitation only — students are not nominated by their schools and do not apply to become candidates.

Three members of Deerfield High School's senior class were named 2020 Presidential Scholar candidates, and a Deerfield resident who attends Adlai E. Stevenson High School was one of the 13 candidates from the larger Lincolnshire school.

• Benjamin J. Katz, Deerfield High School
• Theodore M. Nye, Deerfield High School
• Callie C. Saric, Deerfield High School
• Shrusti Jain, Adlai E. Stevenson High School

The list of eligible candidates in the class of 2020 is expected to be narrowed to about 600 semifinalists in April. The White House-appointed commission then selects 161 scholars — 120 in the general component, 20 in the arts and 20 in career and technical educations.

The winners are then invited to Washington, DC, in June for recognition ceremonies, including a White House-sponsored ceremony with the presentation of Presidential Scholars medallions.