Dawn Flythe Moore First Lady of the State of Maryland | Maryland Department Of Education
Ten Maryland public high school students have been named semifinalists in the 2025 U.S. Presidential Scholars Program. These students hail from Howard and Montgomery counties and are among 621 candidates nationwide vying for this prestigious recognition.
The U.S. Presidential Scholars Program, established in 1964, recognizes the nation's most distinguished graduating high school seniors. The U.S. Department of Education will select up to 161 students as U.S. Presidential Scholars based on their achievements in various areas including academics, arts, career and technical education, leadership, and community involvement.
“These students are among the best of the best in Maryland and nationally,” said Dr. Carey M. Wright, State Superintendent of Schools. “We are incredibly proud of their success as semifinalists in the U.S. Presidential Scholars Program and extend our best wishes for the final round of the selection process.”
The Maryland public school semifinalists include:
From Howard County Public School System:
- Rahul Kumar Goyal – River Hill High School
- Yehji Hwang – Centennial High School
- Kelly D. Liu – Marriotts Ridge High School
- Mehin A. Pandya – Mount Hebron High School
- Ryan Gui Zhou – Howard High School (Arts)
From Montgomery County Public Schools:
- Katherine Ying Hua – Thomas Sprigg Wootton High School
- Myla J. Leung – Winston Churchill High School
- Yunyi Ling – Montgomery Blair High School
- Karthik Srinivas Vedula – Poolesville Senior High School
- Annie W. Zhao – Poolesville Senior High School
In total, eleven Maryland public and private school students are part of this year's national pool of semifinalists.
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