Ten Maryland Students Named Semifinalists for U.S. Presidential Scholars Program

Ten students from Maryland’s public high schools in Howard and Montgomery counties have been recognized as semifinalists in the 2025 U.S. Presidential Scholars Program, placing them among the nation’s top graduating seniors. They are part of a group of 621 semifinalists selected across the country, from which up to 161 will ultimately be named U.S. Presidential Scholars later this year by the U.S. Department of Education.

The U.S. Presidential Scholars Program, created in 1964, honors students for exceptional academic and artistic achievements, success in career and technical fields, leadership, and contributions to their schools and communities. It is considered one of the highest honors for high school students nationwide. Final selections will be based on a rigorous review of the candidates’ accomplishments and personal achievements.

Maryland’s public school semifinalists include Rahul Kumar Goyal from River Hill High School, Yehji Hwang from Centennial High School, Kelly D. Liu from Marriotts Ridge High School, Mehin A. Pandya from Mount Hebron High School, and Ryan Gui Zhou from Howard High School in Howard County. Representing Montgomery County are Katherine Ying Hua of Thomas Sprigg Wootton High School, Myla J. Leung of Winston Churchill High School, Yunyi Ling of Montgomery Blair High School, and Karthik Srinivas Vedula and Annie W. Zhao, both from Poolesville Senior High School.

In total, 11 students from Maryland, including those attending private schools, are among this year’s semifinalists. The final announcement of the 2025 U.S. Presidential Scholars is expected in the coming months. More details about the program and the full list of semifinalists can be found on the U.S. Department of Education’s website.

Article by multiple RFHC contributors, based upon information from the Maryland State Department of Education press release.

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