Mallorie Sievert, a senior at Douglas Anderson School of the Arts in Jacksonville, Fla., is a self-proclaimed “theater nerd” and lover of Broadway who believes she can change the world through art. She is also one of 161 high school seniors recently selected as a U.S. Presidential Scholar for 2020.

The White House Commission chooses Presidential Scholars annually for their achievements in academics, the arts, as well as career and technical education fields. Sievert was one of 20 students selected for the Scholar in the Arts category and the only one selected in the theatre discipline. In the fall, she will attend Elon University in North Carolina to pursue a degree in musical theatre.  

Administered by the U.S. Department of Education, the Presidential Scholars Program has honored more than 7,600 of the nation’s best performing students since its creation in 1964. Of the 3.6 million students expected to graduate from high school this year, more than 5,300 candidates qualified for the 2020 award.

In addition to Sievert, urban students Mia Sarah Palomba from Alexander W. Dreyfoos School of the Arts in West Palm Beach, Fla., and Nouhoum Koita from the Fiorello H. Laguardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts in New York City were selected as Presidential Scholars in the Arts. 

Students in big-city schools chosen as Presidential Scholars for academics were Eui Jin Song from Kaiser High School in Hawaii; Raymond Michael Suo from duPont Manual High School in Louisville; Emhyr Subramanian from Davidson Academy of Nevada in Reno; Sophia Lynn Li from Hunter College High School in New York City; Dana Marie Smiley of Lincoln High School in Portland, Oregon; and Dakyung Lee from Coronado High School in Las Vegas’ Clark County School District.

Tina Trang Truong from Benson Polytech High School in Portland, Oregon, was named a Presidential Scholar for career and technical education.