Of the three Georgians selected for this honor, he is the only public school student. The Grayson High senior is the school’s 2015 salutatorian and will attend the University of Pennsylvania where he plans to major in computer engineering, management of entrepreneurship, and innovation. Shirsath also has been awarded a National Merit Scholarship.
Since 1983, each Presidential Scholar has been offered the opportunity to name his or her most influential teacher. The teacher chosen for recognition by Yash Shirsath is Mary Stimmel of Grayson High School.
The U.S. Presidential Scholars Program was established in 1964, by executive order of the President, to recognize and honor some of our nation’s most distinguished graduating high school seniors. In 1979, the program was extended to recognize students who demonstrate exceptional talent in the visual, creative, and performing arts. Each year, up to 141 students are named as Presidential Scholars, one of the nation’s highest honors for high school students. Of the three million students expected to graduate from high school this year, more than 4,300 candidates qualified for the 2015 awards determined by outstanding performance on the College Board SAT and ACT exams, and through nominations made by Chief State School Officers or the National YoungArts Foundation’s nationwide YoungArts™ competition.
The 2015 U.S. Presidential Scholars are comprised of one young man and one young woman from each state, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico, and from U.S. families living abroad, as well as 15 chosen at-large and 20 U.S. Presidential Scholars in the Arts. The U.S. Presidential Scholars Program has honored almost 7,000 of the nation’s top-performing students with the prestigious award given to honorees during the annual ceremony held in our nation’s capital.
Yash Shirsath and the other 2015 U.S. Presidential Scholars will be honored for their accomplishments in Washington, D.C., June 21-23.
