MacArthur students are Presidential Scholar candidates

General Douglas MacArthur High School seniors Helen Zhang and Christian Hernandez were selected as 2018 Presidential Scholar candidates in the U.S. Presidential Scholars Program from the United States Department of Education.

The U.S. Presidential Scholars Program was established in 1964 to recognize and honor some of the nation’s most distinguished graduating high school seniors. Each year, up to 161 students are named as Presidential Scholars, one of the nation’s highest honors for high school students. Candidacy is based on outstanding performance on the ACT Assessment or the College Board SAT and nominations.

Zhang has displayed her strong academic skills throughout her high school career. She challenges herself each year with Advanced Placement exams and has received scores of 98 or higher on all her regents and final grades.

In addition to her academic achievements, Zhang is also heavily involved in her school community. Among her many extracurricular activities, she collects recyclables throughout the school, participates in the school musical’s pit orchestra and is a valued member of MacArthur’s Science Olympiad team and Science Research program.

Hernandez earned the honor for his accomplishments in the Career and Technical Education field at Gerald R. Claps Career and Technical Center.