Two Students Nominated for Presidential Scholarship

Seniors Akshay Dinakar and Clara Ma were named candidates this morning for the Presidential Scholarship Program. The Scholarship Program selected candidates based on ACT and SAT scores, and the seniors were two of the five candidates selected from the Shawnee Mission School District.

“This entire senior year has just been a series of highs for me,” Dinakar said. “I’m definitely proud to have received this nomination.”

Dinakar and Ma were two of the 20 students selected from the state of Kansas as candidates. They will continue onto two more rounds of judging. The first round will judge academic and artistic talent before selecting 500 semifinalists. In April, 121 students will be awarded with the Presidential Scholarship.

The scholarship does not include any monetary scholarships. However, the 121 Presidential Scholars will receive a free trip to Washington, D.C. for the presentation of their awards.

“The nomination is based on SAT and ACT scores, so I’m proud that all the work I put into studying for those tests paid off,” Ma said.