On May 8, Samantha Alves ’18 was named a member of the 2018 United States Presidential Scholar class. Of over 5,000 qualifying students, only one other student in Massachusetts and 160 other students nationwide earned the award this year.
The award acknowledges her perfect score on the ACT and her essay about her experiences as a trapeze acrobat. U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos announced the award winners saying, “These students have pushed themselves to be the best they can be, and I am certain that devotion will serve them well as they continue their learning journeys.” This year’s class of Presidential Scholars will be honored in Washington, D.C. on June 24.
Alves also earned recognition as a National Merit Scholar, another prestigious academic award. In assembly on May 11, Head of School Catherine Hall recognized the accomplishment: “Out of 1.6 million entrants… only 7,500 are actually awarded National Merit Scholars.”
Alves thanked Nobles science faculty member Christine Pasterczyk with a nomination for the 2018 class of U.S. Presidential Scholars Program’s Distinguished Teachers. The community recognized the academic accomplishments of both teacher and student with standing ovations in assembly.