Sixty-eight South Carolina seniors identified as 2010 Presidential Scholar candidates
February 24, 2010
WASHINGTON, DC & SOUTH CAROLINA – February 24, 2010 – Sixty-eight South Carolina high school seniors have been identified as candidates for the 2010 Presidential Scholars program that honors young people for outstanding academic achievement, artistic excellence, leadership, citizenship and community service.
The candidate pool consists of some 3,000 students with high SAT or ACT scores. A review committee will narrow that list to about 500 honorees in the semifinal round. Approximately 120 students will make the final round and be invited to an awards program in Washington, DC, this coming June.
The Presidential Scholars program was created in 1964 to recognize academic achievement. It expanded in 1979 to salute students who demonstrate exceptional talent in the visual, literary and performing arts and who are nominated through the nationwide youngARTS competition conducted by the National Foundation for Advancement in the Arts.
The state’s 2010 list of candidates includes students in both public and private schools. D.W. Daniel High School in Pickens County leads in number of nominees with a total of six. Spring Valley High School in Richland District Two and Greenville County’s Southside High have five candidates each.
The South Carolina Governor’s School for Science & Mathematics in Hartsville has four students on the list, while the Governor’s School for the Arts & Humanities in Greenville tallied three nominees.
Since its establishment 46 years ago, Presidential Scholars has honored more than 5,000 of the nation’s top-performing students, including young men and young women from each state, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico, and from U.S. families living abroad.
South Carolina Candidates for Presidential Scholars Program 2010
[*] An asterisk indicates a Candidate for Presidential Scholar in the Arts
Aiken – Aric W. Berning, Aiken High School
Aiken – Anthony T. Nguyen, South Aiken High School
Beaufort – Ramiz N. Hamid, South Carolina Governor’s School for Science & Mathematics
Bluffton – William C. Gwozdz, Buffton High School
Blythewood – Brittany N. Pifer, Blythewood High School
Central – Rachael A. Creager, D. W. Daniel High School
Central – Andrew S. Zhang, D. W. Daniel High School
Charleston – Shreyas C. Kousik, Academic Magnet High School
Clemson – Seth M. Greenstein, D. W. Daniel High School
Clemson – Michael D. Lauria, D. W. Daniel High School
Clemson – Marianne M. Ligon, D. W. Daniel High School
Columbia – Avery Acuff, Hammond School
Columbia – Soorya R. Avali, Spring Valley High School
Columbia – Travis M. Byrd, Spring Valley High School
Columbia – John W. Felmly, Hammond School
Columbia – Charles M. Hood, Irmo High School
Columbia – Sally Rausch, Spring Valley High School
Columbia – Luke H. Rhym, Spring Valley High School
Columbia – McKenzie A. Rickman, Spring Valley High School
Columbia – Darby C. Shuler, Richland Northeast High School
Columbia – Sean C. Soni, A. C. Flora High School
Columbia – Thomas E. Williams, Spring Valley High School
Conway – Logan S. Chestnut, Conway High School
Easley – Angela Luo, Southside High School
Florence – Millie H. Griffin, South Carolina Governor’s School for Science & Mathematics
Florence – Amanda L. Grubb, Trinity Collegiate School
Florence – Timothy Jiang, Wilson High School
Fort Mill – Samantha D. Baker, Nation Ford High School
Goose Creek – Dominic Ranz E. Errazo, South Carolina Governor’s School for Science & Math
Goose Creek – Kelly C. Taylor, Stratford High School
Greenville – John A. Absher, James L. Mann High School
Greenville – Natasha G. Deshpande, Mauldin High School
Greenville – Meghan E. Hudak, Saint Joseph’s Catholic School
Greenville – [ * ] Perry W. Hungerford, South Carolina Governor’s School for Arts & Humanities
Greenville – Macon C. McLean, Christ Church Episcopal School
Greenville – [ * ] Jake G. Ross, South Carolina Governor’s School for Arts & Humanities
Greer – Hannah X. Chen, Riverside High School
Greer – Somin Lee, South Carolina Governor’s School for Science & Mathematics
Hanahan – Anne R. Murray, Hanahan High School
Irmo – Kristina M. Drake, Dutch Fork High School
Ladys Island – Nathaniel W. Rollings, Beaufort Academy
Lexington – Holly E. Johnson, James Madison High School
Mauldin – Benjamin L. Cole, Southside High School
Mauldin – Maximilian E. Wolff, Southside High School
Mount Pleasant – Javier R. Ayala, Wando High School
Mount Pleasant – Anne V. Cai, Porter-Gaud School
Mount Pleasant – William L. Dantzler, Bishop England High School
Mount Pleasant – Rosena F. Glenn, Unknown High School
Mount Pleasant – Andrew Z. Liu, Academic Magnet High School
Mount Pleasant – Zhehao Mao, Academic Magnet High School
North Augusta – Matthew J. Lint, Aquinas High School
Orangeburg – [ * ] Uchechi G. Kalu, South Carolina Governor’s School for Arts & Humanities
Rock Hill – Manal W. Hossain, South Pointe High School
Rock Hill – Sarah E. Waddill, Clover High School
Saint Mary’s – Michelle D. Maiden, Saint Mary’s High School
Seneca – Wyatt M. McCallum, D. W. Daniel High School
Simpsonville – [ * ] Alexis C. Aime, The Fine Arts Center
Simpsonville – Judith M. Beaudoin, Southside High School
Simpsonville – Akshay Kumar, Southside High School
Simpsonville – Ashley E. Selby, Southside Christian School
Spartanburg – Benjamin A. Chalmers, Spartanburg High School
Spartanburg – Claire M. Demars, Saint Joseph’s Catholic School
Spartanburg – Laura E. Haselden, Spartanburg High School
Spartanburg – Gregory R. Peacock, Paul M. Dorman High School
Summerville – Joshua D. Hagins, Summerville High School
Tega Cay – Bryan D. Betts, Fort Mill High School
West Columbia – Rachel E. McFarland, White Knoll High School
West Columbia – Brenden C. Roberts, Lexington High School
