Locals in Contention for Presidential Scholar Program

Palos Verdes Peninsula High School seniors Jamie R. Lesser, Patricia E. Pan and Ashley S. Yim, as well as Chadwick senior Daisy K. Jacobson, are in the running for the prestigous U.S. Presidential Scholars program, the school announced Monday.

The program recognizes some of the country's most distinguished graduating high school students. The national competition is stiff, with some 3,000 students having high SAT or ACT scores chosen as part of the candidate pool.

A committee will next review the candidate list and narrow it down to 560 semi-finalists to be announced in April. In early May, 120 students will be selected as Academic Scholars, while 20 are named Arts Scholars. The Presidential Scholars receive medallions at a White House-sponsored ceremony.

Lesser, Pan and Yim are candidates for the Academic Scholar honor, while Jacobson is eligible as an Arts Scholar.

Two Peninsula High students have been selected as Presidential Scholars in recent years. Last year, David Wang was named an Academic Scholar, and in 2011, David Tang-Quan won the honor. 

Patch editor Nicole Mooradian contributed to this report.