Eight students from Buchholz and Gainesville high schools were selected as candidates for the U.S. Presidential Scholars Program.

The Alachua County School District was notified that Cadien Archer and Kathleen Ferrer from Gainesville High School and Richard Feng, William Guan, Hailey Lin, Kelsey Morey, Nathan Wei and Emmanuel Zheng from Buchholz High School were among 4,000 candidates chosen nationwide based on their high scores on the ACT and SAT college entrance exams.

The U.S. Presidential Scholars Program is sponsored by the U.S. Department of Education and the White House Commission on Presidential Scholars. The program, established 50 years ago, recognizes the nation’s most distinguished graduating seniors.

The eight Alachua County Public Schools (ACPS) candidates are now eligible to be selected as one of nearly 650 Presidential Scholar semifinalists for 2024. Each application is by invitation only and the candidates will confirm their interest by submitting candidacy materials, including self-assessments, essays and secondary school transcripts and reports for review. The semifinalists will be named in early April and in May, 161 students will be selected Presidential Scholars.

In 10 of the past 11 years, ACPS has had a student selected to the semifinalist round and two students named Presidential Scholars.

“We are immensely proud of these students for the amazing accomplishments that have earned them this recognition,” said Shane Andrew, Superintendent of Alachua County Public Schools, in a press release. “Their achievements not only reflect their individual dedication and talent but also Alachua County’s tradition of academic excellence.”