Maddie Gilleran, a senior at Lake Hamilton High School, has recently been selected as a semifinalist in the U.S. Presidential Scholars Program for 2021 in Career and Technical Education. Maddie is one of eight semifinalists in Arkansas and is among approximately 625 semifinalists nationwide who have been selected from a pool of nearly 6,500 candidates.
The Commission on U.S. Presidential Scholars will soon complete its selection of the high school seniors who will be named as the 2021 U.S. Presidential Scholars. The Commission's choices will be announced in mid-May by the U.S. Secretary of Education. All semifinalists will be notified of their status.
The U.S. Presidential Scholars Program was established in 1964, by executive order of the President, to recognize and honor some of our nation's most distinguished graduating high school seniors. In 1979, 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. Each year, up to 161 students are named as Presidential Scholars, one of the nation's highest honors for high school students.
The complete list of semifinalists can be found here: https://www2.ed.gov/programs/psp/2021/semifinalists.pdf