2020 Presidential Scholars in the Arts Announced

The 56th class of U.S. Presidential Scholars has been announced. The U.S. Presidential Scholars award-one of the nation's highest honors for high school students who exemplify academic excellence, leadership qualities and community service-is presented on behalf of the President of the United States and honors up to 161 graduating high school seniors of high potential each year. Students who would like to be considered for Presidential Scholars in the Arts in the future must first apply to the YoungArts program. Applications open on June 2, 2020 at youngarts.org/apply.

Sarah Arison, Chair of National YoungArts Foundation, said, "Now, more than ever, it is important that we as a country celebrate the hope and promise of the next generation of great architects and designers, writers and poets, and visual and performing artists. YoungArts is honored to continue to support and nominate the nation's most talented artists for the Presidential Scholars program. We congratulate all of the winners and look forward to continuing to offer our support throughout their artistic journeys."

"It is my privilege to congratulate the Presidential Scholars Class of 2020 on their outstanding academic achievement, community service, and leadership," said U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos. "These exemplary young people have excelled inside the classroom and out. And, while they are facing unprecedented challenges as they graduate from high school into a world that looks much different than it did just a few months ago, their determination, resilience, and commitment to excellence will serve them well as they pursue their next steps."

Name	City, State	School	YoungArts Winner Year and Discipline
Anthony Arya	Santa Cruz, CA	Georgiana Bruce Kirby Preparatory School	2020, Voice
Olivia Bigtree	Nedrow, NY	ManliusPebble Hill School	2020, Visual Arts
Dusan Brown	Studio City, CA	Los Angeles County High School for the Arts	2020, Film
Isabella Cho	Wilmette, IL	North Shore Country Day School	2020, Writing
Caitlin Chung	Beverly Hills, CA	Harvard-Westlake School	2020, Photography
Sage Croft	Windermere, FL	Windermere High School	2020, Film
Laura Futamura	Middletown, NJ	High Technology High School	2020, Classical Music
Meagan Maureen Hipsky	Guilford, IN	Homeschool	2020, Classical Music
Dante Jervaise Kirkman	Modesto, CA	Palo Alto Senior High School	2019, Writing
Nouhoum Koita	Brooklyn, NY	Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts	2020, Dance
Ryan McCord	Dallas, TX	St. Mark's School of Texas	2020, Photography
Theodore Louis Nissen	Los Angeles, CA	Los Angeles County High School for the Arts	2020, Film
Mia Sarah Palomba	Lake Worth, FL	Alexander W. Dreyfoos School of the Arts	2019, Design Arts
Anoush Pogossian	Glendale, CA	Verdugo Academy	2018, Classical Music
Benjamin Tanchoco Rossen	Great Neck, NY	Great Neck South High School	2018, Classical Music
Mallorie Sievert	Jacksonville, FL	Douglas Anderson School of the Arts	2020, Theater
Pranav Tadikonda	Boyds, MD	Richard Montgomery High School	2019, Dance
Nicholas Michael Dean Turgeon	Greenville, SC	Wade Hampton High School	2020, Visual Arts
Jieyan Wang	Moscow, ID	Moscow High School	2020, Writing
Maggie A. Wilkinson	Ooltewah, TN	Chattanooga High School	2019, Writing