Los Angeles County High School for the Arts seniors awarded prestigious honor

Five students in Los Angeles County have been named as United States Presidential Scholars. The announcement was made by U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos on Thursday.

The U.S. Presidential Scholars Program was created in 1964 and has recognized more than 7,600 high school students in the country.

The program was expanded in 1979 to recognize students who showed exceptional talent in the visual, literary and performing arts. It was extended again in 2015 to recognize students who demonstrated ability and accomplishment in career and technical education fields.

Here is the list of honored students from Los Angeles County

  • Matthew Allana, Beverly Hills High School in Beverly Hills
  • Dusan Brown, Los Angeles County High School for the Arts in Los Angeles*
  • Caitlin Chung, Harvard-Westlake School in Studio City*
  • Theodore Louis Nissen, Los Angeles County High School for the Arts in Los Angeles*
  • Anoush Pogossian, Verdugo Academy in Glendale*

The 56th class of Presidential Scholars included 10 students from California.

Here is the list of honored students from the rest of California

  • Jessica Costescu, Cypress High School in Cypress
  • Dante Jervaise Kirkman, Palo Alto Senior High School in Palo Alto*
  • Anthony Arya, Georgiana Bruce Kirby Preparatory School in Santa Cruz*
  • Dean Tran, Ann Sobrato High School in Morgan Hill
  • Christina Wooden, Canyon Crest Academy in San Diego

The students with * are U.S. Presidential Scholar in the Arts.

The White House Commission on Presidential Scholars selects students based on academic achievement, artistic and technical excellence and also their essays, school evaluations, demonstrated leadership and service in their community and who have shown a commitment to high ideals.

More than 5,300 candidates qualified for the 2020 awards – out of the estimated 3.6 million high school students expected to graduate – through exams by College Board SAT or ACT, a nomination by Chief State School Officers or other partner organizations or through the National YoungArts Foundation competition.

Then, by Presidential Executive Order, one young man and one young woman from each state, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico, and from U.S. families living abroad as well as 15 students chosen at-large, 20 scholars in the arts and 20 scholars in career and technical education become Presidential Scholars.

The complete list of the 161 winners country-wide for 2020: www.ed.gov/psp

Originally written and published by HOLLY ANDRES | handres@scng.com | Daily NewsPUBLISHED: May 23, 2020 at 6:00 a.m. | UPDATED: May 23, 2020 at 6:01 a.m. (Photo by Michael Kitada, Contributing Photographer)