Presidential Scholar is one of the nation’s highest honors for high school students
(BATON ROUGE, LA) – The U.S. Presidential Scholars Program has named the 2026 candidates for U.S. Presidential Scholars, and 104 Louisiana students have been selected for the honor. Each year, up to 161 students nationwide are named U.S. Presidential Scholars, one of the nation’s highest honors for high school students. The scholars represent excellence in education and the promise of greatness in young people. In honoring the U.S. Presidential Scholars, the President of the United States symbolically honors all graduating high school seniors of high potential.
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 expanded to recognize students who demonstrate exceptional talent in the visual, creative, and performing arts. In 2015, the program was again expanded to recognize students who demonstrate ability and accomplishment in career and technical education fields.
Below are the 2026 candidates representing Louisiana. This list is from the U.S. Presidential Scholars Program full candidate list.
Abbeville
Bailey A. Puhekker, St. Thomas More Catholic High School
Arabi
Christopher Mondy, Chalmette High School
Baton Rouge
Aiden C. Fee, Dunham School
Alexander Yang, Baton Rouge Magnet High School
Allison Riley, Saint Joseph's Academy
Anna Q. Wang, Baton Rouge Magnet High School
Autumn M. Baldridge, Episcopal High School
Brianna S. Warren, Baton Rouge Magnet High School
Camille L. Istre, Dunham School
Cecily Lu, Baton Rouge Magnet High School
Clark Ortego, Baton Rouge Magnet High School
Grace Smith, Baton Rouge Magnet High School
Henry W. Mensman, Catholic High School
Jonathan M. Thompson, Catholic High School
Jordan Fox, Bishop Sullivan High School
Lailin Wa, Scotlandville High School
Lauren E. Bradford, Episcopal High School
Liam Price, Catholic High School
Lukas Schwehm, Baton Rouge Magnet High School
Mason J. Liner, Parkview Baptist High School
Nyssiah Ebanks, McKinley Senior High School
Ryan Yang, Baton Rouge Magnet High School
Sarah C. Ebenezer, Baton Rouge Magnet High School
Timothy J. Namikas, Episcopal High School
Braithwaite
Se'maj Williams, Phoenix High School
Broussard
Lincoln Trumps, Lafayette High School
Chalmette
Maya Dufrene, Chalmette High School
Covington
Aditiya Babbar, Mandeville High School
Ayaan A. Sheikh, The Saint Paul's School
Denham Springs
Elliott S. Perkins, Live Oak High School
Destrehan
Cecilia J. Cody, Destrehan High School
John W. Reinagel III, Destrehan High School
Elton
Isabel Carbalan, Elton High School
Folsom
Natalie Cortez, Homeschool
Greenwell Springs
Darren Weng, Episcopal High School
Shawn Matthew Tate, Catholic High School
Gretna
Chuhan Gong, Isidore Newman School
Jacob L. Hoffmann, Thomas Jefferson High School
Sarah S. Nguyen, Patrick F. Taylor Science & Technology Academy
Hammond
Cheuk Shun Wu, St Thomas Aquinas High School
Harahan
Morgan K. Breaux, Isidore Newman School
Harvey
Malik D. Adams, Patrick F. Taylor Science & Technology Academy
Jennings
Kaitlyn Sawyer, Hathaway High School
Keithville
Brodie Linder, Captain Shreve High School
Kenner
Ryan H. Pham, Haynes Academy of Advanced Studies
William Triplett, Haynes Academy of Advanced Studies
Lafayette
Ethan C. Thibodeaux, St. Thomas More Catholic High School
Ishan Kunada, Lafayette High School
Rudra A. Karadkhelkar, Lafayette High School
Sophie L. Cheung, Lafayette High School
Lake Charles
Natalie S. Obluda, Saint Louis Catholic High School
Luling
Addison B. Ferreras, Mount Carmel Academy
Cooper Matherne, Hahnville High School
Mandeville
Alex J. Chehebar, Fontainebleau High School
Marrero
Beckham K. Lieu, Patrick F. Taylor Science & Technology Academy
Brandon Wa, John Ehret High School
Jazlyn Morton, Phoenix High School
Metairie
Aditi Shridhar, Isidore Newman School
Amelia T. Stein, Academy of the Sacred Heart
Callie A. Langhetee, Academy of the Sacred Heart
Christine Tseng, Haynes Academy of Advanced Studies
Cullen Morris, Jesuit High School
Derek Moore, Jesuit High School
Hannah Wen, Haynes Academy of Advanced Studies
Jane C. Farnsworth, Academy of the Sacred Heart
Michael J. Hickham, Jesuit High School
Russell O. Huber, Isidore Newman School
Therese V. Carriere, St. Mary's Dominican High School
Monroe
Addison Alden, Sterlington High School
New Orleans
Adam B. Al Hariri, Jesuit High School
Anne M. George, Metairie Park Country Day School
Benjamin M. Farmer, Jesuit High School
Caliste Reggio, Lusher Charter School
Charles B. Benoit, Benjamin Franklin Senior High School
Charles N. Andrews, Benjamin Franklin Senior High School
Elinor C. Reyher, Benjamin Franklin Senior High School
Emma M. Tran, Archbishop Chapelle High School
Jai Bansal, Isidore Newman School
James Denning, Jesuit High School
Joyce H. He, Isidore Newman School
Kevin Li, Lusher Charter School
Madeleine Seal, Metairie Park Country Day School
Makeda A. Butler, Benjamin Franklin Senior High School
Nicholas A. Coffin, Isidore Newman School
Robert W. Van Horn, Homeschool
Rosalie J. Thomas, Academy of the Sacred Heart
Shoshana D. McDermott, Benjamin Franklin Senior High School
Thomas B. Gershanik, Isidore Newman School
William M. Long, Isidore Newman School
Opelousas
Anya Montgomery, Northwest High School
Prairieville
Matthew McWilliams, Dutchtown High School
Nathan D. Henderson, Dutchtown High School
River Ridge
William Berry, Jesuit High School
Shreveport
Anna Stier, Captain Shreve High School
Elaine Lu, Caddo Parish Magnet High School
Johnny Zheng, Caddo Parish Magnet High School
Kevin L. Zhao, Caddo Parish Magnet High School
Nathan Tatum, Caddo Parish Magnet High School
Slidell
Austin Cohn, Northshore High School
Danyel Young, Northshore High School
St. Rose
Fatima Arif, Destrehan High School
Thibodaux
Matthew Plaisance, Edward D White Catholic High School
West Monroe
Harley Wroten, Ouachita Parish High School
White Castle
Addison Moore, White Castle High School