The National YoungArts Foundation (YoungArts) congratulates the 53rd class of U.S. Presidential Scholars, with special acknowledgement to the U.S. Presidential Scholars in the Arts, announced by U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos. The U.S. Presidential Scholars award—one of the nation's highest honors for high school students who exemplify academic excellence—is presented on behalf of the President of the United States, and honors up to 161 graduating high school seniors of great potential each year. The 20 U.S. Presidential Scholars in the Arts are all YoungArts Winners, nominated by the organization to The White House Commission on Presidential Scholars and selected based on academic and artistic distinction, leadership qualities and community service. The list of 2017 U.S. Presidential Scholars in the Arts can be found here.
The 2017 U.S. Presidential Scholars in the Arts include actors, dancers, singers, musicians, filmmakers, visual artists, designers and writers, and join an illustrious group of YoungArts and U.S. Presidential Scholar in the Arts alumni, including Tony Award-nominated performer and choreographer Desmond Richardson; Los Angeles Music Center President Rachel S. Moore; novelist and National Book Award Finalist Allegra Goodman; Grammy Award-nominated violinist Jennifer Koh; Bravo's "Work of Art" winner Abdi Farah; Obie Award-winning actress Donna Lynne Champlin; and RCA Records award-winning singer-songwriter and Grammy Award-nominated artist Chris Young.
From June 18–20, the U.S. Presidential Scholars in the Arts will join the other 141 U.S. Presidential Scholars in Washington, D.C. for the annual National Recognition Program, during which all awardees receive a Presidential Medallion presented on behalf of the President of the United States. On Monday, June 19, the Arts Scholars will present their work to the public at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts through a free multidisciplinary showcase directed by Tony Award-nominated actor, singer and dancer, and 1997 YoungArts Winner in Theater Tony Yazbeck. That evening, an exhibition of works created by the recognized visual artists and writers will also be on view in the Hall of Nations.
For more information, visit youngarts.org. To watch a brief video about YoungArts, click here.
