Via Vickie Huang, Mike Chang, Sunny Ng
HEATHER SHEN OF EAST GREENWICH, RHODE ISLAND NAMED
2014 U.S. PRESIDENTIAL SCHOLAR
U.S.
Secretary of Education Arne Duncan today announced the selection of Heather
Shen of East Greenwich, Rhode Island who attends East Greenwich High School in
East Greenwich, as a 2014 U.S. Presidential Scholar.
Shen
is one of 141 outstanding American high school seniors that have demonstrated
outstanding academic achievement, artistic excellence, leadership, citizenship,
service, and contribution to school and community. The U.S. Presidential
Scholars will be honored for their accomplishments in Washington D.C., from
June 22-25.
“The
extraordinary young men and women being honored for the 50th anniversary of the Presidential Scholars have
excelled in their educational, artistic and civic pursuits,” Duncan said. “They
show all of us that
.
These scholars will help move our country forward and will have a lasting
impact on their families, communities, and on our society. They represent the potential
of all young citizens to lift up America.”
The
White House Commission on Presidential Scholars, appointed by President Obama,
selects honored scholars annually based on their academic success, artistic
excellence, essays, school evaluations and transcripts, as well as evidence of
community service, leadership, and demonstrated commitment to high ideals. Of
the three million students expected to graduate from high school this year,
more than 3,900 candidates qualified for the 2014 awards determined by
outstanding performance on the College Board SAT and ACT exams, and through
nominations made by Chief State School Officers or the National YoungArts
Foundation’s nationwide YoungArtsTM competition.
The
2014 U.S. Presidential Scholars are comprised of one young man and one young
woman from each state, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico, and from U.S.
families living abroad, as well as 15 chosen at-large and 20 U.S. Presidential
Scholars in the Arts.
Created
in 1964, the U.S. Presidential Scholars Program has honored more than 6,500 of the
nation’s top-performing students with the prestigious award given to honorees
during the annual ceremony in D.C. The program was expanded in 1979 to
recognize students who demonstrate exceptional talent in the visual, literary
and performing arts
Since
1983, each Presidential Scholar has been offered the opportunity to name his or
her most influential teacher. Each distinguished teacher is honored with a
personal letter from the Secretary of Education.
The
teacher chosen for recognition by Shen was David Rubinstein of East Providence,
RI.
美國教育部日前公佈141名，2014年總統學者獎名單。羅德島州東格林威治高中學生沈众然（Heather
Shen），忝列其一。
現年十七歲的沈众然，甫於上週六卸下羅德島州傑出青少年小姐后冠，將於六月廿二日至廿五日，前往華府領獎。今秋升讀史丹福大學，主修工程。
得獎，考滿分對沈众然來說，已經不是新鮮事。僅只是在去年一年內，沈众然就獲得科學奧林匹克金牌獎，學術十項全能獎，成績四點零，ACT和SAT考試也滿分等成績。她還打入羅德島協奏曲大賽決賽，以小提琴贏得Chaminade俱樂部獎學金音樂節首獎。獲選為美國國家航空航天局（NASA）的科學，工程，數學高中女學者，贏得羅德島州傑出青少年小姐頭銜，並打入全美傑出青少年小姐決賽。
今年四月廿一日，羅德島州州長查菲（Chafee）也表揚她無私的獻身於鼓勵女生學習科學，技術，工程與數學。
沈众然的母親Yan
Li表示，她們全家都對沈众然的獲得美國高中生最高榮譽獎，感到十分光榮。
美國教育部部長鄧肯（Arne
Duncan）日前在公佈總統學者得獎名單時表示，今年是總統學者獎五十週年。這141名傑出的美國高中生，全都在學業，藝術成就，領導力，公民服務，對社會及學校的貢獻上，有傑出表現。他們不但帶動了國家前進，也將對他們的家庭，社區，社會有長遠影響，將提升整個美國。
鄧肯表示，在今年即將畢業的三百萬名高中生中，有3900人符合大學理事會SAT，以及ACT考試所決定的傑出表現標準，並經由各州學校首長，全國青年藝術基金會的比賽，提名參選白宮總統學者。
2014年的白宮總統學者，包括從全美各州，以及哥倫比亞，波多黎各特區，在外國生活美國家庭各挑選出來的一名女生，一名男生，加上15名不分區者，以及20名總統藝術學者。
白宮總統學者委員會成立於1964年，迄今已在華府表揚了6500名全美表現最優秀學生。1979 年時，這一表揚學生項目，擴大到也表揚在視覺，文學，表演藝術上有傑出才能的學生。
自1983年以來，每一名總統學者都有機會提名對它們影響最大的老師。每一名傑出老師，都將獲得一封教育部長親自發出的表揚信。
沈众然提名的老師是羅德島州東普域敦斯（Providence）的David Rubinstein。
