DeKalb Senior Named U.S. Presidential Scholars Semi-Finalist

DEKALB COUNTY, GA — One DeKalb County School District class of 2021 senior has been named a finalist for a top national honor.

As a semi-finalist for the U.S. Presidential Scholars Program, Catherine Hazel Cossaboom of Chamblee Charter High School is among only 700 students from the more than 3 million graduating seniors in the nation's class of 2021 selected to advance in the prestigious recognition program. Only 18 students from Georgia were named semi-finalists.

The program was established in 1964, by executive order of the president, to honor and recognize extraordinary graduating seniors. Candidates for the invitation-only recognition program are initially selected based on outstanding performance on the ACT or SAT; semi-finalists and finalists are chosen based on an application that considers overall academic excellence, personal character, leadership and service activities. Additional recognitions are awarded for students who excel in the arts or in career and technical education; Annelise is a semi-finalist for the CTE honor.

The next level of recognition to be announced later this spring finalist. Last school year, of the 700 scholars semi-finalists, 161 students were named scholars and received national recognition and an invitation to an all-expenses paid trip to the White House.

Patch Editor Kathleen Sturgeon contributed to this article.