Many Indian American High School Students Among 2022 U.S. Presidential Scholars

Several Indian American high school students are among the 161 named to the 58th class of U.S. Presidential Scholars, announced by U.S. Secretary of Education Dr. Miguel Cardona on May 12. The scholars are selected annually by the White House Commission on Presidential Scholars based on their academic success, artistic and technical excellence, essays, school evaluations and transcripts, as well as a demonstrated commitment to community service and leadership.

“Our 2022 Presidential Scholars represent the best of America, and remind us that when empowered by education, there are no limits to what our young people can achieve,” said Cardona in a press release by the U.S. Department of Education. “Today, I join President Biden to celebrate a class of scholars whose pursuit of knowledge, generosity of spirit, and exceptional talents bring our nation tremendous pride. Throughout one of the most trying periods in our nation’s history and amid our recovery from the pandemic, our students have once again demonstrated their strength and that they have so much to contribute to our country. Thanks to them, I know America’s future is bright.”

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. In 2015, the program was again extended to recognize students who demonstrate ability and accomplishment in career and technical education fields.

Indian American scholars include: 

Arizona

Salil Naik, Mountain Ridge High School, Glendale 

California

Reva Srivastava, Mission San Jose High School, Fremont

Colorado

Rishika Kartik, St. Mary’s Academy High School, Highlands Ranch

Connecticut

Aditya Kabra, East Lyme High School, Niantic 

Maya Prafulla Shah Palanki, Conard High School, West Hartford 

Delaware

Arjan Singh Kahlon, The Charter School of Wilmington, Hockessin

Sreeya Pittala, Newark Charter Junior/Senior High School, Newark 

Florida

Sandhya Kumar, Lawton Chiles High School, Tallahassee 

Georgia

Ayush G. Gundawar, South Forsyth High School, Cumming 

Illinois 

Jui Khankari, Hinsdale Township High School Central, Oak Brook

Rishi Patel, Waubonsie Valley High School, Naperville 

Jaisnav Rajesh, Waubonsie Valley High School, Naperville

Piya Shah, Waubonsie Valley High School, Naperville 

Iowa

Kavya Kalathur, Pleasant Valley Community High School, Bettendorf 

Kansas

Shekhar Kumar Gugnani, Fort Scott High School, Fort Scott

Gauri Yadav, Olathe North High School, Overland Park 

Louisiana

Ashini Modi, Caddo Parish Magnet High School, Shreveport

Maine

Sirohi G. Kumar, Mount Desert Island High School, Bar Harbor

Maryland

Dhruv Bhandarkar Pai, Montgomery Blair High School, Potomac 

Minnesota 

Dedeepya Guthikonda, Edina High School, Minneapolis

Mississippi

Dia Chawla, Pillow Academy, Greenwood

North Carolina

Dheepthi Mohanraj, The North Carolina School of Science & Mathematics, Chapel Hill 

Oklahoma

Aishwarya Swamidurai, Classen School of Advanced Studies, Oklahoma City 

Pennsylvania

Adamya Aggarwal, Haverford School, Bryn Mawr

Texas

Siddh Bamb, Liberal Arts and Science Academy, Austin

Utah

Malavika G Singh, West High School, Salt Lake City

Vermont 

Sriram Sethuraman, South Burlington High School, South Burlington

Virginia

Uma Pillai, Potomac Falls High School, Potomac Falls

Wisconsin

Ananya Krishna, James Madison Memorial High School, Verona