By ASHLEY FOWLER
WISH-TV | wishtv.com
Two hardworking Hoosier students are among more than 100 high school seniors named to the 58th class of U.S. Presidential Scholars.
Indiana’s scholars are Kevin Wang, who attends Carmel High School, and Sneha Yelamanchili, a student at Signature School in Evansville.
The White House Commission on Presidential Scholars chooses 161 students annually based on their accomplishments in academics, the arts, and career and technical education fields. Scholars must also demonstrate a commitment to community service and leadership.
Wang, who plans to study economics or physics at Harvard, says the award is helping spur his future success.
“Having some of the best students across America receive this award gives me the motivation to continue to do good in whatever I choose to do in my future, whether that be academics, public policy, or government,” Wang said. “It gives me the motivation to give back to this country and just continue to do positive change in my community.”
Sneha, who will join Wang at Harvard and study molecular and cellular biology, has a bit of advice for younger students.
“Just keep working harder and harder and the sky is the limit, really. I just overcommitted myself, I think, this year, but in the end, it paid off and I think I really stretched my horizons,” Sneha said. “That’s been my biggest takeaway from my high school experience.”
The U.S. Presidential Scholars Program was created in 1964 and has since honored nearly 8,000 of the country’s top-performing students.