Secretary Duncan to Honor 2011 U.S. Presidential Scholars During Medallion Ceremony

High school seniors from across the nation will be honored for their outstanding accomplishments in academics and the arts in Washington, D.C., June 18-21. Highlights of the activities on Monday include a Medallion Ceremony with U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan at 3:30 p.m. at the Voice of America Building, where the Secretary will deliver remarks, take questions, and pose for photos with honorees.

Later that evening, a "Salute to the 2011 U.S. Presidential Scholars" by the Scholars in the Performing Arts will take place at 8 p.m. at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts' Concert Hall. Students will also give performances comprised of original artistic collaborations created, composed, arranged, written, and choreographed by the artists listed below over the past seven days. In addition to the performances, the evening will feature an introduction of all the 2011 U.S. Presidential Scholars. A complete list is available at http://www.ed.gov/programs/psp/awards.html.

The 141 U.S. Presidential Scholars of 2011 were announced May 2. For the past 47 years, this prestigious program has honored more than 6,000 of the nation's top-performing students. Of the three million students expected to graduate from high school this year, more than 3,000 candidates qualified on the basis of outstanding performance on the College Board SAT and ACT exams, or by nomination through the nationwide YoungArts competition conducted by the National Foundation for Advancement in the Arts.

The Scholars who are to perform at Kennedy Center and their area of performance:

Delali Ayivor, Houston, TX, Writing, Poetry; India Carney, Brooklyn, NY, Voice, Pop; Isabela Dos Santos, Weston, FL, Cinematic Arts; Lee Heinemann, Kansas City, MO, Visual Arts; Kevin Hu, Naperville, IL, Classical Music, Violin; Blake Krapels, Woodland Park, NJ, Dance, Choreography; Ryan McCartan, Excelsior, MN, Musical Theater; Daniel McGrew, Orange, CA, Voice, Tenor; Jessica Miller, Rock Hill, SC, Theater; Zachary Ostroff, Belvedere, CA, Jazz, Double Bass; Colby Parker, Statesboro, GA, Classical Music, Tuba; Maxwell Perkins, Wilmette, IL, Dance, Modern; Tyler Rabinowitz, Wellington, FL, Cinematic Arts; Daniel Stanfill, Manhattan Beach, CA, Voice, Jazz; Conrad Tao, New York, NY, Classical Music, Composition.