Three Missouri high school seniors were selected as members of the 60^th class of U.S. Presidential Scholars along with 158 additional students from across the country. The president recognized the outstanding students listed below for their accomplishments in academics, the arts, and career and technical education fields.

• Shubha Gautam, Columbia — Rock Bridge High School
• Lynn Marie Dyer*, Higginsville — Lafayette County C-1 High School
• Santosh Manikandan, Wentzville — Liberty High School

This federal program has honored more than 8,000 of the nation’s top-performing students since its inception in 1964. The Presidential Scholars Class of 2024 will be recognized for their outstanding achievement later this summer.

“This is such an esteemed honor, and I applaud Shubha, Lynn Marie, and Santosh for their hard work and impressive achievements,” said Commissioner of Education Margie Vandeven. “The rigorous coursework these students have committed to has paid off and will continue to do so as they pursue their chosen paths to success.”

Just over 5,700 of the 3.7 million students expected to graduate from high school this year qualified for the 2024 awards. Candidates were recognized for outstanding performance on the College Board SAT and ACT exams, or through nominations by Chief State School Officers, other partner recognition organizations, and the National YoungArts Foundation’s program.

A full list of 2024 honorees and more information about the U.S. Presidential Scholars Program can be reviewed at http://www.ed.gov/psp.

*U.S. Presidential Scholar in Career and Technical Education