By: Whitney Watson Wood, Esq.
Executive Director of Communications | San Angelo ISD
San Angelo ISD and Central High School proudly celebrate Bobcat senior Aryan Shaik who was named as a candidate in the prestigious 2022 U.S. Presidential Scholars Program, one of 163 students in the state, one of only three in West Texas and the only candidate in the Concho Valley area. Aryan joins more than 5,000 scholars candidates nationwide selected from the nearly 3.6 million students expected to graduate from U.S. high schools in 2022.
“CHS is proud of Aryan and this incredible accomplishment! He represents all that our motto of ‘Central Can!’ stands for,” said CHS Principal Bill Waters. “He is a true ambassador for our school! He is an outstanding young scholar that truly has earned this recognition.”
Inclusion in the program is one of the highest honors bestowed upon graduating high school seniors nationally. Aryan and fellow scholar candidates are selected based on superior academic and artistic achievements, leadership qualities, strong character and involvement in community and school activities. Not one to shy away from hard work, Aryan is currently balancing an intense course load at CHS of College Board Advanced Placement and Dual Credit courses including AP/Dual Credit English 4, AP Statistics, AP Environmental Science, AP/Dual Credit Physics 2, AP Computer Science and AP Computer Science Principles. AP/Dual Credit courses provide students the chance to tackle college-level work while still in high school and earn college credit and placement. He will also ‘challenge’ for two additional AP courses meaning he will independently study subject matter in preparation for taking tests for the two additional subject matter areas.
“If you can put aside time to do the work, to keep working toward your classes and stick with it, you’ll be a success,” said Aryan. “AP courses in general are fulfilling because they give you a chance to show what you’ve learned, earn credit for work you’ve done over the past year and save money in college.” He expressed appreciation to SAISD for offering AP and Dual Credit courses and hopes to enter college with 70 to 80 credit hours because of his hard work and the classes.
Aryan exemplifies the attributes of the SAISD Learner Profile as a critical thinker, collaborator, creator and communicator. He scored exceptionally high scores on his SAT and ACT tests, is highly active in UIL Academics, holds the office of President for the CHS Chapter of the National Honor Society, and was a member of CHS Varsity Tennis Team his freshman through junior year. Aryan attributes his success and candidacy to the program in part to his time management skills, inspiration from his parents and a cohesive, supportive effort from all his teachers throughout his high school and middle school experience in SAISD.
“I was genuinely surprised to learn I was a candidate for the U.S. Scholars Program. My parents were surprised as well due to the nature of it being hard,” said Aryan. “Advice I would give to other students to be successful is communicating with teachers. SAISD has amazing teachers. In my four years at Central and in middle school, if I needed a tutorial, they would support me.”
Aryan is passionate about his UIL Academic Team participation. He started with math his freshman year and then expanded to science, earning awards like First Place Overall in Science, Top Chemistry and Top Physics scores, and most recently in an Academic Meet in Abilene, placing first in two categories and third in a category at an Academic Meet in San Antonio. He competes both individually and on a CHS UIL team. In May of his junior year, 2021, Aryan placed first in the 11th grade division at the Texas Alliance for Minorities in Engineering (TAME) STEM Science Competition. Aryan reflects on his UIL, NHS, and tennis experiences as combining to help him get where he is today, noting aspects like hard work, collaborating with UIL teammates and fellow NHS board members, and instilling determination and persistence.
After tossing his cap this May at the CHS Class of 2022 Graduation Ceremony, Aryan plans to attend a four-year Texas college to major in a science like biology or physics as a step toward a longer term plan to attend medical school. He is not sure yet what type of medicine he would like to practice, but is dedicated to the medical field, saying, “I love the combination of service with science that comes into play with medicine. I love community service and giving back to the community.”
Following his selection as a candidate, a distinguished panel of educators will review candidate applications to select semifinalists for the 58th class of U.S Presidential Scholars who will be announced mid-April, with the final Scholars announced this May.
San Angelo ISD extends proud congratulations to Aryan, and commends his dedication to hard work, continued learning and community service, while exemplifying the attributes of the SAISD Learner Profile. We look forward to seeing his hopes and dreams take flight. SAISD also thanks our committed SAISD educators who have helped him along his educational journey from middle school to high school to develop and cultivate his talents in celebration of all the ways students are smart. To stay up-to-date on San Angelo ISD, please visit the SAISD website at www.saisd.org and follow us on Facebook and Twitter.
More About the U.S. Scholars Program
The U.S. Presidential Scholars Program was established in 1964 by Executive Order of the President to recognize some of our nation’s most distinguished graduating seniors for their accomplishments in many areas: academic success, leadership, and service to school and community. It was expanded in 1979 to recognize students demonstrating exceptional scholarship and talent in the visual, creative, and performing arts. In 2015, the program was expanded once again to recognize students who demonstrate ability and accomplishment in career and technical fields. To see the full list of 2022 Candidates for the U.S. Presidential Scholars Program click here
Annually, up to 161 U.S. Presidential Scholars are chosen from among that year’s senior class, representing excellence in education and the promise of greatness in America’s youth. A distinguished panel of educators will review these submissions and select approximately 600 semifinalists in early April. The Commission on Presidential Scholars, a group of up to 32 eminent citizens appointed by the President, will select the finalists, and the U.S. Department of Education will announce the Scholars in May. U.S. Presidential Scholars are honored for their accomplishments during the National Recognition Program each June. To commemorate their achievement, the Scholars are awarded the Presidential Scholars Medallion.
Since 1964, this unique federal program has honored almost 8,000 U.S. Presidential Scholars, who have demonstrated scholarship, leadership, artistic excellence and selfless service to others. The work of the Commission on Presidential Scholars, on behalf of the President and his Administration, reflects recognition of the immense value and potential of our Nation’s youth, and a deep commitment to ensuring that every child in America receives the benefits of a world-class education.
Estudiante de SAISD Central High School es nombrada candidata en el Prestigioso Programa de Becas Presidenciales de EE. UU.
Por: Whitney Watson Wood, Esq.
Director Ejecutivo de Comunicaciones | Distrito escolar independiente de San Ángelo
San Angelo ISD y Central High School celebran con orgullo a Aryan Shaik, estudiante de último año de Bobcat, quien fue nombrada candidata en el prestigioso Programa de Becas Presidenciales de EE. UU. 2022, una de 163 estudiantes en el estado, una de solo tres en West Texas y la única candidata en Concho zona del valle. Aryan se une a más de 5000 candidatos académicos en todo el país seleccionados entre los casi 3,6 millones de estudiantes que se espera que se gradúen de las escuelas secundarias de EE. UU. en 2022.
“¡CHS está orgullosa de Aryan y de este increíble logro! ¡Él representa todo lo que representa nuestro lema de ‘Central Can!'”, dijo el director de CHS, Bill Waters. “¡Él es un verdadero embajador de nuestra escuela! Es un joven erudito sobresaliente que verdaderamente se ha ganado este reconocimiento”.
La inclusión en el programa es uno de los más altos honores otorgados a los estudiantes de último año de secundaria que se gradúan a nivel nacional. Los candidatos académicos arios y compañeros se seleccionan sobre la base de logros académicos y artísticos superiores, cualidades de liderazgo, carácter fuerte y participación en actividades comunitarias y escolares. Aryan, que no se asusta del trabajo arduo, actualmente está equilibrando una intensa carga de cursos en CHS de Colocación avanzada de College Board y cursos de crédito dual que incluyen AP/Crédito dual Inglés 4, Estadística AP, Ciencias ambientales AP, Física AP/Crédito dual 2, Ciencias de la Computación AP y Principios de Ciencias de la Computación AP. Los cursos AP/crédito dual brindan a los estudiantes la oportunidad de abordar el trabajo de nivel universitario mientras aún están en la escuela secundaria y obtener créditos universitarios y colocación. También 'desafiará' para dos cursos AP adicionales, lo que significa que estudiará de forma independiente la materia en preparación para tomar exámenes para las dos áreas de materia adicionales.
“Si puede reservar tiempo para hacer el trabajo, para seguir trabajando en sus clases y cumplirlo, será un éxito”, dijo Aryan. “Los cursos AP en general son gratificantes porque te dan la oportunidad de demostrar lo que has aprendido, obtener crédito por el trabajo que has hecho durante el último año y ahorrar dinero en la universidad”. Expresó su agradecimiento a SAISD por ofrecer cursos AP y de doble crédito, y espera ingresar a la universidad con 70 a 80 horas de crédito como resultado de su arduo trabajo y las clases.
Aryan ejemplifica los atributos del perfil de aprendizaje de SAISD como pensador crítico, colaborador, creador y comunicador. Obtuvo puntajes excepcionalmente altos en sus exámenes SAT y ACT, es muy activo en UIL Academics, ocupa el cargo de presidente del Capítulo CHS de la Sociedad Nacional de Honor y fue miembro del equipo de tenis Varsity de CHS desde su primer año hasta el tercer año. Aryan atribuye su éxito y candidatura al programa en parte a sus habilidades de gestión del tiempo, la inspiración de sus padres y el esfuerzo cohesivo y de apoyo de todos sus maestros a lo largo de su experiencia en la escuela secundaria y la escuela intermedia en SAISD.
“Me sorprendió genuinamente saber que era candidato para el Programa de Becas de EE. UU. Mis padres también se sorprendieron por la naturaleza de la dificultad”, dijo Aryan. “El consejo que le daría a otros estudiantes para tener éxito es comunicarse con los maestros. SAISD tiene maestros increíbles. En mis cuatro años en Central y en la escuela intermedia, si necesitaba una tutoría, me apoyaban”.
A Aryan le apasiona su participación en el Equipo Académico de la UIL. Comenzó con matemáticas en su primer año y luego se expandió a ciencias, ganando premios como primer lugar general en ciencias, puntajes superiores en química y física, y más recientemente en un encuentro académico en Abilene, quedando primero en dos categorías y tercero en una categoría en un Encuentro Académico en San Antonio. Compite tanto individualmente como en un equipo de CHS UIL. En mayo de su tercer año, 2021, Aryan ocupó el primer lugar en la división de grado 11 en la competencia de ciencias STEM de Texas Alliance for Minorities in Engineering (TAME). Aryan reflexiona sobre sus experiencias en la UIL, el NHS y el tenis como una combinación que lo ayudó a llegar a donde está hoy, señalando aspectos como el trabajo duro, la colaboración con los compañeros de equipo de la UIL y los miembros de la junta del NHS, y la inculcación de determinación y persistencia.
Después de lanzar su gorra este mayo en la Ceremonia de Graduación de la Clase 2022 de CHS, Aryan planea asistir a una universidad de Texas de cuatro años para especializarse en ciencias como biología o física como un paso hacia un plan a más largo plazo para asistir a la escuela de medicina. Todavía no está seguro de qué tipo de medicina le gustaría practicar, pero se dedica al campo de la medicina y dice: “Me encanta la combinación de servicio con ciencia que entra en juego con la medicina. Me encanta el servicio comunitario y retribuir a la comunidad”.
Luego de su selección como candidato, un distinguido panel de educadores revisará las solicitudes de los candidatos para seleccionar a los semifinalistas de la clase 58 de Becarios Presidenciales de EE. UU. que se anunciarán a mediados de abril y los becarios finales se anunciarán en mayo.
San Angelo ISD extiende orgullosas felicitaciones a Aryan y elogia su dedicación al trabajo arduo, el aprendizaje continuo y la comunicación.
Comments