Eight Presidential Scholars at Los Altos, Mountain View High Schools

The Mountain View Los Altos High School District (MVLA) released the names of eight students who have made the semi-finalist round of the Presidential Scholars Program.

Each year, the national program selects both academically distinguished students and artistically distinguished students in separate nomination processes.

Of the initial 3,000 candidates, approximately 500 are named semifinalists by the White House Commission on Presidential Scholars and the United States Department of Education. 

From the 500, the commission selects up to 121 Academic Scholars and up to 20 Arts Scholars. 

The following local candidates for the United States Presidential Scholars Program include:

Los Altos High School

• Julia J. Chmyz
• Runming Dai
• Caroline M. Deng 
• Jerry J. Liu 

Mountain View High School

• Jennifer Duan
• Diana Gong
• Nadia L. Khayrallah 
• Sonia Nigam

The United States Presidential Scholars Program, established in 1964, identifies and honors some of the nation’s most distinguished graduating high school seniors. Eligible students are U.S. citizens and legal permanent residents.  

Each year, candidates are identified for the academic component of the program based on exceptional scores on the SAT or the ACT and invited to apply. Additionally, artistically inclined students, whose exceptional talents may not show on test scores, are selected on the basis of their academic and artistic scholarship in the visual arts, the performing arts, or creative writing. These students are nominated from among those who have already applied to, and participated in YoungArts, a national program identifying and nurturing young people with emerging talent in the arts. Application to YoungArts is open and not requiring invitation.

Students who respond to the invitation to apply must submit essays, self-assessments, secondary school reports and transcripts. The review committee then evaluates the candidates on academic achievement, personal characteristics, leadership and service activities and the quality and content of their essay.

The scholars are honored in June in Washington,D.C. with an expense-paid trip when they meet with government officials, educators, authors, musicians and scientists. Their visit includes visits to museums and monuments as well as recitals, receptions and ceremonies. The Presidential Scholars Medallion is presented at a White House ceremony. Each U.S. Presidential Scholar is asked to identify the one teacher who has most influenced him or her, and the educators are also invited to attend the recognition events. A special reception is held for these professionals and they are presented with the Teacher Recognition award