The education secretary encouraged the scholars to “continue to aim higher, leverage your extraordinary talents, and boldly assume your responsibilities as leaders.”
The U.S. Department of Education has announced that 161 exceptional high school seniors have been designated as the 2026 U.S. Presidential Scholars. Award recipients participated in a rigorous selection process that evaluated their academic excellence, artistic and technical talents, essays, school recommendations, and evidence of leadership and community service.
Recipients from the class of 2026 include one young man and one young woman from every U.S. State, as well as the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and U.S. families living abroad. It also includes 15 at-large Scholars, 20 Scholars in the arts, and 20 Scholars in career and technical education.
U.S. Secretary of Education Linda McMahon stated, “These students represent the exceptional caliber of character and intellect that our nation’s future demands. On behalf of President Trump, I congratulate each Scholar who never gave up, the families who believed in them, and the communities who guided them. As you forge your next paths, continue to aim higher, leverage your extraordinary talents, and boldly assume your responsibilities as leaders.”
As the Lord Leads, Pray with Us…
- For Secretary McMahon as she heads the Department of Education and its oversight of public schools.
- For President Trump as he develops and promotes education policies in the U.S.
- For the high school seniors who were chosen as Presidential Scholars.
Sources: Department of Education
