80 Wisconsin Students are Candidates for U.S. Presidential Scholars Program

BROOKFIELD, WI — Top High School students from Hudson, Waukesha, Brookfield, Glendale, Milwaukee, Whitefish Bay, Racine and More, have earned high marks and are considered candidates for Wisconsin's 2017 U.S. Presidential Scholars Program.

The White House Commission on Presidential Scholars, selects honored scholars annually based on their academic success, artistic excellence, essays, school evaluations and transcripts, as well as evidence of community service, leadership, and demonstrated commitment to high ideals.

As was the case in 2016, U.S. Presidential Scholars are comprised of one young man and one young woman from each state, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico, and from U.S. families living abroad, as well as 15 chosen at-large, 20 U.S. Presidential Scholars in the Arts and for the first time 20 U.S. Presidential Scholars in Career and Technical Education.

Here are Wisconsin's candidates (Patch.com communities in bold):

1. Ayub Ahmed, Barron - Barron Area Senior High School
2. Brendan M. Bagley, Hudson - Hudson Senior High School
3. Connie T. Cai, Madison - Phillips Exeter Academy
4. Matthew D. Carter, Weston - D. C. Everest Senior High School
5. Alexander Cayer, Mequon - Homestead High School
6. Cameron G. Chyla, Waukesha - Waukesha West High School
7. William J. Cioci, Belleville - Verona Area High School
8. William R. Clark, Mequon - Homestead High School
9. Richard D. Colwell, Medford - Medford Area Sr High School
10. Ryan E. Drager, Prairie Du Sac - Sauk Prairie High School
11. Alexis N. Erickson, Deerfield - Deerfield High School
12. Isaac P. Fingerson, Marathon - Phillips Exeter Academy
13. Quinten S. Fredrick, Cashton - Cashton High School
14. Anna M. Frehner, Madison - West High School
15. Lindsey R. Gearin, Star Prairie - Osceola High School
16. Sriram Gollapudy, Menomonee Falls - Brookfield Academy
17. Colin Gray-Hoehn, Brookfield - United States Senate Page Sch
18. Shalini S. Gundamraj, Hartland - Brookfield Academy
19. Travis A. Gurlik, Hartland - Arrowhead High School
20. Ruth Hallstead, Onalaska - Onalaska High School
21. Parker J. Holum, Hudson - Hudson Senior High School
22. Takahiro Ishikuri, Glendale - Nicolet High School
23. Melannie D. Jay, Madison - West High School
24. Bryan Jin, Fitchburg - West High School
25. Anna S. Kane, Westby - Unknown High School
26. Elizabeth G. Keuler, Mequon - University School of Milwaukee
27. Eugene Kim, Brookfield - Brookfield Central High School
28. Megan Klos, Grafton - Grafton Senior High School
29. Angela C. Kolb, Sauk City - Sauk Prairie High School
30. William R. Korbitz, Whitefish Bay - Whitefish Bay High School
31. [**] Alex Krueger, Janesville - Joseph A Craig High School
32. Sanjana Kumar, Verona - James Madison Memorial High School
33. Colton Langer, Wilson - Baldwin-Woodville High School
34. Emma G. Lenz, Dousman - Brookfield Academy
35. Emily Y. Li, Germantown - Germantown High School
36. Emma M. Li, Platteville - Platteville High School
37. Maxwell E. Lom, Appleton - Kimberly High School
38. [**] Kelsie Lyall, Menomonie - Menomonie Senior High School
39. Taylor Matsche, Bowler - Bowler High School
40. [**] Andrea Mcdermott, Platteville - Platteville High School
41. Riya A. Mehta, New Berlin - Eisenhower High School
42. Gianna Morello, Hurley - Hurley Senior High School
43. Lolar Moua, Green Bay - Preble High School
44. Kaylee Mullholland, La Crosse - West Salem High School
45. Rhea Nangia, Brookfield - Brookfield Academy
46. Samuel T. Nortman, Appleton - Xavier High School
47. Mckenzie Null, Mauston - Mauston High School
48. Benjamin L. Ontl, Wisc Rapids - Lincoln High School
49. Jason Paonessa, Racine - Walden Iii Middle And High Sch
50. [**] Dylon Pokorny, Waupun - Waupun Senior High School
51. Alyssa J. Price, Appleton - Appleton North High School
52. Zachary Rau, Centuria - Unity High School
53. Heather E. Ruby, Green Bay - Notre Dame Academy
54. Joseph S. Rupcich, Verona - Edgewood High School
55. Angela J. Schmitt, Kohler - Kohler Senior High School
56. Noel Schmitz, Sparta - Cashton High School
57. Megan R. Schumer, Green Bay - Notre Dame Academy
58. William Schweitzer, Clintonville - Marion High School
59. Joey Sokol, Belleville - Belleville High School
60. Chloe B. Spang, Pewaukee - Kettle Moraine High School
61. Sarah O. Spector, Whitefish Bay - Whitefish Bay High School
62. Lydia A. Spettel, West Bend - West Bend East High School
63. Mitchell J. Stroebel, Saukville - Cedarburg Senior High School
64. Claire X. Sun, Verona - James Madison Memorial High School
65. Pitchaya Tanawattanacharoen, Eau Claire - Eau Claire Mem High School
66. Gavin E. Tappe, Durand - Durand High School
67. Maria Thurow, Monticello - New Glarus High School
68. Matthew Trafton, Waukesha - Kettle Moraine High School
69. Tyler W. Trupke, De Pere - De Pere High School
70. Hannah L. Ulatowski, Sussex - Arrowhead High School
71. Skye A. Vandeleest, Green Bay - Ashwaubenon High School
72. Anna Verbruggen, Little Chute - Little Chute High School
73. David Vowels, Oconomowoc - Oconomowoc High School
74. Rachel D. Ward, Waukesha - Waukesha West High School
75. Benjamine M. Wears, Black Creek - Seymour High School
76. [**] Levi Werlein, Appleton - Appleton North High School
77. Emma Widmar, Racine - Washington Park High School
78. Christopher Y. Zheng, Hartland - Arrowhead High School
79. Alexander R. Zhu, Brookfield - Brookfield Academy
80. Samuel W. Zwickel, Chippewa Falls - Mcdonell Central High School

Of the three million students expected to graduate from high school last year, more than 5,600 candidates qualified for the 2016 awards determined by outstanding performance on the College Board SAT and ACT exams, through nominations made by Chief State School Officers, other partner recognition organizations or the National YoungArts Foundation's nationwide YoungArts™ competition.

Created in 1964, the U.S. Presidential Scholars Program has honored almost 7,000 of the nation's top-performing students with the prestigious award given to honorees during the annual ceremony in D.C. The program was expanded in 1979 to recognize students who demonstrate exceptional talent in the visual, literary and performing arts. In 2015, the program was again extended to recognize students who demonstrate ability and accomplishment in career and technical education fields.

>>> image via shutterstock