by Katie Parkinson
Senior Shelby Hawkins was recently announced as a candidate for the United States Presidential Scholars program. Hawkins is one of 3000 candidates for the academic portion of the scholarship. Students are chosen based off of their SAT or ACT test scores, according to a Department of Education fact sheet. In addition, about 20 students are chosen based on artistic performance in visual arts, performing arts and creative writing.
The Presidential Scholars program was created in 1964 by Executive Order of the President. The goal of this program is to “honor some of the nation’s most distinguished graduating high school seniors.”
According to Hawkins, she did not realize the significance of the award originally.
“I received a letter in the mail from the US Department of Education, and my mom just handed it to me and asked me to take it to Mrs. Hudson because we weren’t sure if it was a legitimate program,” Hawkins said. “[Mrs. Hudson] started laughing and said it was definitely legit. She showed me the website, and said it was important that I fill everything out.”
According to Hawkins, for the application, she has to write essays about something that is meaningful to her, a teacher that has been significant to her learning experience, and answer multiple short answer questions about a variety of topics.
Candidates are then evaluated based on their “academic achievements, personal characteristics, leadership and service activities, and the quality and content of their essay,” according to the fact sheet.
Approximately 500 students will advance to semifinalist status, and out of these, up to 121 Academic Scholars and 20 Arts Scholars will be selected.
If Hawkins becomes a Presidential Scholar, she will go on an expense-paid trip to Washington D.C. in June and attend a special ceremony sponsored by the White House.
“I would be really proud to be a US Presidential Scholar,” Hawkins said. “Mrs. Hudson told me the last STA student with this opportunity was Paige Wendland, who I really looked up to, so I’m really excited to share the same recognition.”
