Out of a pool of 161 high school students, two students from Puerto Rico have been honored as 2022 Presidential Scholars.

Established in 1964, the U.S. Presidential Scholars — an official program of the U.S. department of education — selects students who meet the standard of the nation’s most distinguished high school seniors.

Up to 161 students are named as Presidential Scholars each year, as was the case with 2022. The students are selected by a White House Commission on the program.

The honorees are chosen based on academic achievement, technical excellence, community service, leadership skills and various essays, school evaluations, and transcripts.

By 1979, the program had extended itself to recognizing students who demonstrate exceptional visual, creative and performing arts talent. 

Extending the program once again in 2015, the Presidential Scholars began to recognize students who demonstrate ability and accomplishment within career and technical education fields.

The program selects one male and female student from each state, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico.

This year, the two students from Puerto Rico who have been honored by the program come from Dorado and Rio Piedras-based schools.

Liliana Maria Davila of the Tasis School in Dorado, and Alejandro Ricardo Cacho from the Colegio San Ignacio de Loyola in Rio Piedras were both included.

Anya Graciela Jiménez, a student of the Professional Performing Arts School in New York City, further represents Latina students who are recognized by similar education programs.

Caroline Luanna Berthin from the Design & Architecture Senior High School, in Miami, Florida, and Jorge Adrian Jasso, a student of Homer Hanna High School in Brownsville, Texas, also uphold the honor. 

With the Latino student population comprising the largest ethnic group in the U.S., representing Latino/a/x students in honoree programs shows further potential for greatness.

Providing accessible resources in college preparedness may help assist students in low-income households as they move forward in their academic careers.

U.S. families who live abroad, as well as 20 scholars in the arts, 20 scholars in career and technical education, and 15 chosen at-large are selected for the program too.

The U.S. Secretary of Education, Miguel Cardona, called the program representative of the “best of America.”

One honor the program gives to the awardees is an online recognition program this Summer. A full list of all 161 honorees of the 2022 U.S. Presidential Scholars can be viewed here.