BARRE — Two Addison County students, Eden Ginsburg of Bristol and Katherine Wallace of Cornwall, were nominated named to the state’s 2019 Presidential Scholar list in a ceremony at the Vermont Statehouse late last month.
The Vermont Presidential Scholars Program recognizes graduating high school seniors who show outstanding scholarship, leadership and service to their communities. Wallace is one of 20 Vermont scholars nominated in the general category. Five scholars are also nominated in the Career Technical Education (CTE) category. Ginsburg was named in the inaugural year as one of five Scholars in the Arts.
Vermont scholars for the general and CTE categories will be invited to apply to the U.S. Presidential Scholars Program, which will announce its winners in May 2019. Additional Vermont students may be chosen to apply by the U.S. Department of Education based on ACT and SAT scores. Each year, up to 161 students are named as national Presidential Scholars — one of the highest honors for high school students.
During this pilot year, the Vermont student artists will not automatically be sent on the national pool through YoungArts. Arts scholars will have the opportunity to participate in the national Presidential Scholars program beginning in 2020.
“Vermont’s presidential nominees exemplify the strengths of Vermont’s education system, one of the best in the nation,” said Secretary of Education Dan French. “Our students have excelled in science, math, history and the arts, and a diverse range of CTE programs. I am very proud of their excellence and hard work and I wish them the best as they represent our state at the national level for this award.”