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Three Local Broward County Students Named U.S. Presidential Scholars Candidates

by Sharon Aron Baron February 11, 2013

by Sharon Aron Baron February 11, 2013 2 minutes read

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Three Local Broward County Students Named U.S. Presidential Scholars Candidates

Left: Coral Glades High School senior Ronald D. Laracuente, Marjory Stoneman High School seniors Diana C. Luzardo and Jason C. Zhang

Three students from Coral Springs and Parkland have been named candidates for the highly prestigious 2013 U.S. Presidential Scholars Program and all three are enrolled in Broward County Public Schools.

Coral Glades High School senior Ronald D. Laracuente and Marjory Stoneman High School seniors Diana C. Luzardo and Jason C. Zhang were named among the more than 3,000 candidates in the 2013 U.S. Presidential Scholars Program. A fourth, senior Gregory A. Bernstein who attends Nova High School senior was also named.

Each year, up to 141 students are named as U.S. Presidential Scholars, one of the Nation’s highest honors bestowed on graduating high school seniors. Scholars are selected on the basis of superior academic and artistic achievements, leadership qualities, strong character and involvement in the community and school activities.

Over 3,000 candidates were selected for their exceptional performance on either the College Board SAT or the ACT Assessment. Further consideration is based on students’ essays, self-assessments, descriptions of activities, school recommendations and school transcripts. A distinguished panel of educators will review these submissions and select 500 semifinalists in early April.

The White House Commission on Presidential Scholars, a group of up to 32 eminent citizens appointed by the President, reviews the applications of all semifinalists and selects up to 121 Academic Scholars and up to 20 Arts Scholars. The U.S. Department of Education will announce the Scholars in May.

All scholars are honored for their accomplishments during the National Recognition Weekend, held in June in Washington, D.C. During this trip, U.S. Presidential Scholars are guests of the Commission and enjoy an expense-paid trip to Washington, D.C., to meet with government officials, educators, authors, musicians, scientists and other accomplished people. Scholars have the opportunity to visit museums and monuments and to attend recitals, receptions and ceremonies.

To commemorate their achievement, the Scholars are awarded the Presidential Scholars Medallion at a ceremony sponsored by the White House.

Author Profile

Sharon Aron Baron

Editor of Talk Media and writer for Coral Springs Talk. CST was created in 2012 to provide News, Views, and Entertainment for the residents of Coral Springs and the rest of South Florida.