The United States Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona has announced the 2024 U.S. Presidential Scholars and Folsom resident Penelope Oliver is amongst the list of 161 high school seniors being recognized for their accomplishments in academics, the arts, and career and technical education.
“The 161 high school seniors selected for the 60th anniversary of the U.S. Presidential Scholars represents the best of our nation’s schools and inspire hope in the bright future of this country,” said Cardona. “On behalf of President Biden, I am delighted to celebrate their accomplishments, and encourage these scholars to continue to aim high, lift up others, and embrace opportunities to lead.”
Oliver is a resident of Folsom and a high school senior, she studies at Horizon Charter School which is based in Lincoln. While she is one of 161 students from across the nation on the list, she is just one of nine students from California. As any high school student would be, Oliver was excited to get the word she made the list and has since been doing her share of media interviews, while she is still busy studying and doing advocacy work with the non-profit she founded known as All Access Arts which provided STEM and arts education to different communities including working in shelters four times a week. When she was 17, she also was recognized for interviewing First Partner Jennifer Siebel Newsom where they discussed the state’s Farm to School program.
“I still haven’t gotten over it. To me, this means that hard work does pay off, that I’m living proof that dreams and ambition and having compassion and passion to change your community are so powerful.” said Oliver, who was nominated as a candidate for consideration as opposed being named by means of SAT or ACT test scores as many others are.
Of the 3.7 million students expected to graduate from high school this year, more than 5,700 candidates qualified for the 2024 awards determined by outstanding performance on the College Board SAT or ACT exams or through nominations made by chief state school officers, other partner recognition organizations and YoungArts, the National Foundation for the Advancement of Artists.
As directed by Presidential Executive Order, the 2024 U.S. Presidential Scholars are comprised of two students from each state, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico, and U.S. families living abroad, as well as 15 chosen at-large, 20 scholars in the arts and 20 scholars in career and technical education, according to information provide to Folsom Times by the United States Board of Education.
So what’s ahead for this already much accomplished young lady from Folsom? It looks like higher educations and plenty of advocacy and non—profit work will be in her future. She plans to attended the University of California, Berkley where she will seek a political science and international relations degree with a minor in human rights, and she’s not stopping there but no matter what will continue “being herself,” as she puts it.
“I also want to go to law school, and I possibly want to be a human rights lawyer, or an immigration lawyer or work for the United Nations,” she recently shared. “Whatever journey you’re on, you can succeed and continue being yourself.”
The Presidential Scholars Class of 2024 will be recognized for their outstanding achievement this summer with an online recognition program.
A complete list of 2024 U.S. Presidential Scholars follows and is also available at http://www.ed.gov/psp.
2024 U.S. Presidential Scholar Penelope Oliver (pictured on the right) is pictured interviewing First Partner Jennifer Siebel Newsom previously.
| Scholars for the U.S. Presidential Scholars Program May 2024 [*] Scholar for U.S. Presidential Scholar in Arts. [**] Scholar for U.S Presidential Scholar in Career and Technical Education. Alabama AL – Manav Aggarwal, Huntsville – Randolph School AL – Samantha Si-Wai Chan, Madison – Bob Jones High School *AL – Nalin J. Reed, Trussville – Alabama School of Fine Arts Alaska AK – Bentley D. Altman, Anchorage – Family Partnership Charter School AK – Samantha J. Holler, Wasilla – Mat-Su Career and Tech Highschool American Abroad AA – Anna E. Roth, Stuttgart – Stuttgart High School AA – Henry Zhou, Beijing – Thacher School Arizona AZ – Matteo N. Huish, Mesa – BASIS Mesa AZ – Sruti Peddi, Fountain Hills – BASIS Scottsdale Charter AZ – Vivian M. Saavedra, Scottsdale – Chaparral High School Arkansas AR – Collier DeClerk, Gentry – Bentonville West High School AR – Ananya Uddanti, Little Rock – Central High School California *CA – Edward Chen, Irvine – Orange County High School of the Arts *CA – Lauren Amy Cheng, Burlingame – Burlingame High School *CA – Brian Bowen Guan, Dublin – Dublin High School **CA – Jacob L. Hutchison Jr., Visalia – Redwood High School *CA – Ian Byul Kim, Glendale – Harvard-Westlake School CA – Penelope L. Oliver, Folsom – Horizon Charter School **CA – Caitlyn Haein Park, Santa Clarita – Saugus High School *CA – Erin Park, Chino – Chino High School CA – Kyle Tianshi, San Diego – The Cambridge School Colorado CO – Rachel E. Cooper, Centennial – Regis Jesuit High School-Girls Division CO – Siddharth R. Nareddy, Westminster – Peak to Peak Charter School Connecticut CT – Leigh M. Foran, Westport – Staples High School CT – Annika Fleur Emilia Mengwall, Darien – Darien High School CT – Cy J. Pavlov, Trumbull – Trumbull High School Delaware **DE – Anaum H. Allimulla, Newark – Newark Charter School DE – Amanrai S. Kahlon, Hockessin – Sanford School **DE – Runyi Liu, Newark – Newark Charter School DE – Michelle Wang Mao, Newark – Cab Calloway School of the Arts High School District of Columbia DC – Keya Krishna, Washington – Sidwell Friends School DC – Devan Tissington Lakshmanan Tatlow, Washington – School Without Walls Florida *FL – Paola Beatrice Alvarez Ramirez, Miami – New World School of the Arts FL – Sharanya Chatterjee, Orlando – Freedom High School *FL – Ale Fonseca, Miami – Miami Arts Studio 6-12 @ Zelda Glazer *FL – Niveah Desirea Glover, Jacksonville – Douglas Anderson School of the Arts FL – Esperance J. Han, Ocala – North Marion High School FL – Joshua C. Martoma, Boca Raton – Pine Crest School Georgia **GA – Han Shaun Lee, Alpharetta – Johns Creek High School GA – Gordon E. Lichtstein, Decatur- Decatur High School **GA – Vineeth Sendilraj, Suwanee – Lambert High School GA – Joanna Yian Xiao, Richmond Hill – Richmond Hill High School Hawaii HI – Maile-Lei Ji, Kamuela – Kealakehe High School HI – Michael X. Kostecki, Honolulu – Iolani School HI – Ahryanna P. McGuirk, Kailua – Kalaheo High School Idaho ID – Austin Jackson Giffen, Boise- Timberline High School ID – Hayoon Lee, Boise- Timberline High School Illinois IL – Intisar A. Alkhatib, Chicago – Lincoln Park High School IL – Pradyumn M. Bonu, Buffalo Grove – Adlai E. Stevenson High School IL – Ryan Y.P. He, Charleston- University of Illinois Laboratory High School IL – Zuyu Liu, Palatine – Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy IL – Sai Peddainti, Naperville – Waubonsie Valley High School Indiana IN- Nathaniel Glenn Bryan, Fort Wayne- Concordia Lutheran High School IN- Claire H. He, Zionsville – Carmel High School Iowa IA- Andrew Dong, Iowa City – West High School IA- Sarah Park, Ames – Ames High School Kansas KS – Ayaan Parikh, Wichita – Wichita Collegiate School KS – Anahi Sanchez, Newton – Newton High School KS – Paranjay Sharma, Leawood- The Barstow School Kentucky KY – Owen Matthew Borden, Fort Thomas – Highlands High School KY – Sarah Elise Cauley, Murray – Murray High School KY – Jennifer Mi Nguyen, Grayson -The Craft Academy for Excellence in Science and Mathematics at Morehead State University *KY – Chase R. Phillips, Louisville – duPont Manual Magnet High School KY – Joshua Zyzak, Lakeside Park – Beechwood High School Louisiana LA – Kathy Hu, Baton Rouge – Episcopal High School LA – Brandon Lin, Baton Rouge – Baton Rouge Magnet High School Maine ME – Isaac N. Kahn, Kennebunk- Kennebunk High School ME – Kylie Jade Thibodeau, Raymond – Gray New Gloucester High School Maryland MD – Maximilian P. Belyantsev, North Potomac – Richard Montgomery High School MD – Mingni L. Dong, Lutherville Timonium – Dulaney High School **MD – Minaal A. Khwaja, Salisbury – Wicomico High School MD – Angelina Xu, Boyds – Richard Montgomery High School Massachusetts MA – Radhika Heda, Lexington – Lexington High School **MA – Sarah Jane Johansen, Tewksbury- Shawsheen Valley Vocational Technical High School MA – Aryan Mago, Shrewsbury – Groton School Michigan MI – Anish Jain, Auburn Hills – Avondale Senior High School MI – Aanya Shah, Troy – Troy High School **MI – Olivia Jaden Stepnioski, Warren – Center Line High School Minnesota MN – Philippa Jane Pflaum, Wayzata – Phillips Exeter Academy MN – Derrick Siu, Edina – Edina High School *MN – Ming Wei Yeoh, Chanhassen – Minnetonka High School Mississippi MS – Noah Curtis Lee, Southaven – Mississippi School for Mathematics & Science MS – Iris Jiani Xue, Southaven – Mississippi School for Mathematics & Science Missouri **MO – Lynn Marie Dyer, Higginsville – Lafayette County C-1 High School MO – Shubha Gautam, Columbia – Columbia-Rock Bridge Senior High School MO – Santosh Manikandan, Wentzville – Liberty High School Montana MT – Ellis Walker-Keleher, Missoula – United World College East Africa (Arusha Campus) MT – Grace M Wandler, Missoula – Hellgate High School Nebraska NE – Mark M. Bausch, Omaha – Creighton Preparatory School NE – Christina Xu, Lincoln – Lincoln East High School Nevada NV – Samuel Z. Chen, Las Vegas – Clark High School NV – Beverly Y. Wang, Las Vegas – The Meadows School New Hampshire **NH – Molly Fitzgerald DellaValla, Jackson- Homeschool NH – Deetya B. Nagri, Nashua – Nashua Senior High School South NH – Prayag J. Patel, Auburn – The Derryfield School New Jersey *NJ – Iris Hur, Paramus – Bergen County Academies *NJ – Gabrielle Liberman, Summit – Kent Place School NJ – Pranav Sitaraman, Edison – Middlesex County Academy for Science Math & Engineering *NJ – Nicholas Yoo, Ramsey- Delbarton School NJ – Selina S. Zhang, Annandale – North Hunterdon High School *NJ – Harmony Zhu, Cresskill – The Brearley School New Mexico NM – Kayan A. Rivera-Graham, Albuquerque – Albuquerque Institute of Math and Science NM – Aileen Adanma Ukwuoma, Albuquerque – Early College Academy NM – Karen Weijia Zhang, Albuquerque – Albuquerque Academy New York *NY – Detola D. Badmus, Elmont – Fiorello H. Laguardia High School of Music and Art and Performing Arts NY – Natasha Kulviwat, Jericho – Jericho Senior High School NY – Sheldon Y. Liu, New York – Stuyvesant High School NY – Elaine Wang, Garden City- Garden City Senior High School **NY – Ariana Amanda Watson, North Woodmere – Lawrence High School NY – Thomas A. Wills II, Clay – Cicero-No Syracuse High School North Carolina NC – Dishita Agarwal, Greensboro – The Early College at Guilford NC – Jacob Elijah Chen, Waxhaw – Providence Day School North Dakota ND – Hanson W. Du, Grand Forks – Grand Forks Central High School **ND – Teagan L. Erbele, Lehr – Napoleon High School ND – Selena Wu, Grand Forks – Red River High School Ohio OH – Chardon Javar Black, Jr., Cleveland – John Hay Senior High School OH – Annabella Clara Burton Boone, Delaware- Olentangy Berlin High School Oklahoma OK – Jack David Carson, Tulsa – Booker T. Washington High School OK – Ella Grace Newhouse, Tulsa – Cascia Hall Preparatory School Oregon OR – Richard Z. Chen, Corvallis – Crescent Valley High School OR – Stella C. Wang, Portland – Jesuit High School Pennsylvania PA – Prithvi Vijay Narayanan, State College- State College Area High School PA – Aneri Shethji, Sewickley – North Allegheny Senior High Puerto Rico PR – Meghna A. Pramoda, Guaynabo- Baldwin School of Puerto Rico PR – Owen Thomas Weber, Dorado – Tasis School in Dorado Rhode Island RI – Margaret Catherine Lauder, Portsmouth – Portsmouth High School RI – Ryan Steven Lukowicz, North Kingstown- North Kingstown Senior High School South Carolina SC – Anna Elizabeth Cully, Lexington- River Bluff High School SC – Michael Yi Lee, Mount Pleasant – Academic Magnet High School *SC – Jessie J. Leitzel, Mount Pleasant – Charleston County School of the Arts South Dakota SD – Owen O. Burns, Brookings – Brookings High School **SD – Faith Genzlinger, Winfred – Howard High School SD – Camryn Jean Lounsbery, Brookings – Brookings High School Tennessee TN – Avigail Laing, Knoxville – Bearden High School TN – Jonathan Aryan Mehrotra, Cordova – White Station High School Texas TX – Isabelle Agarwal, Richardson- Richardson High School *TX – Patrick Christie Flanagan, Dallas – St. Mark’s School of Texas TX – Alex Pan, Dallas – St. Mark’s School of Texas **TX – Amisha Sao, Cedar Park- Round Rock High School TX – Eric J Tong, Colleyville – Grapevine Senior High School Utah UT – Audrey Su, Sandy – Skyline High School UT – Joseph Tsai, Provo – Timpview High School Vermont VT – Matthew Henry Califano, Craftsbury Common- Craftsbury Academy VT – Hannah Noelle Cunningham, Burlington – Rice Memorial High School Virginia VA – Benjamin Daniil Cohen, Falls Church – Thomas Jefferson High School for Science & Technology *VA – Hannah Z. Hong, Yorktown – Grafton High School **VA – Olivia Kasie Judd, Winchester – James Wood High School **VA – Raaga Kodali, Ashburn – Briar Woods High School *VA – Christian Philip Trimmingham, Richmond- Interlochen Arts Academy VA – Sriya Yalamanchili, Sterling – Academies of Loudoun Washington WA- Ashwin Joshi, Kennewick- Southridge High School **WA – Lexi J. Molnar, Centerville – Goldendale High School **WA – Siddhartha Dylan Pant, Lakewood- Lakes High School **WA – Jacob J. Scrupps, Ritzville – Odessa High School WA- Kosha Upadhyay, Bellevue- Bellevue Senior High School West Virginia WV- Grant Carter Kenamond, Wheeling – Wheeling Park High School WV- Lauren Jiayi Shen, Morgantown – Morgantown High School Wisconsin WI – Ezra M. Linnan, Sturgeon Bay – Sevastopol High School WI – Anica Tipkemper-Wolfe, Cedarburg – Cedarburg Senior High School Wyoming WY – Landis D. Zebroski, Sheridan – Sheridan High School WY – Grace H. Zhou, Laramie- Laramie High School |
Author: Bill Sullivan
Bill Sullivan has over 25 years of professional journalism and content creation experience in which he has earned 37 professional awards. He is the co-founder/publisher of Folsom Times an All Town Media LLC product.