Six Lake Washington School District (LWSD) high school students have been selected as candidates for the U.S. Presidential Scholars Program.

Andrew Chronister and Christopher Yu from Nikola Tesla STEM High School, Lila Balakrishnan and Oleksandra Ianchenko Redmond High School, Cheng Shan of Eastlake High School and Mia Richards of International Community School are among the 72 students statewide selected as candidates.

These students will now complete applications for the chance to become presidential scholars. Each year, up to 141 students nationally are named as scholars, one of the nation’s highest honors for high school students. The U.S. Presidential Scholars Program was established in 1964 by executive order of the president, to recognize and honor some of the 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.