Ninety-eight Austin ISD Students Earn Recognition for Academic Performance

A total of 98 Austin ISD seniors were recognized for outstanding academic performance as U.S. Department of Education Candidates for U.S. Presidential Scholars, National Merit Finalists and Semifinalists, and College Board National Recognition Scholars. 

These recognitions are among the most distinguished honors a high school student can achieve and reflect outstanding academic accomplishment.

Candidates for the U.S. Presidential Scholars are selected by the U.S. Department of Education based on SAT or ACT performance, academic achievement, leadership, and service activities.

National Merit Finalists and Semifinalists are selected by the National Merit Corporation based on PSAT performance and represent the highest-scoring students in the state of Texas. 

National Recognition Program Scholars are selected by the College Board based on PSAT performance and academic achievement.

Austin ISD has seven candidates for the Department of Education’s U.S. Presidential Scholars, 38 National Merit Finalists, one National Merit Semifinalist, and 63 College Board National Hispanic Scholars. Ten students are recognized for two or more awards.

Akins Early College High School — Principal Tina Salazar

  • National Recognition – Roger El-Bitar

Anderson High School — Principal Sammi Harrison

  • National Merit Finalist – Evan Fletcher, Elijah Kleinman
  • National Recognition – Ava Baechle, Natalie Benavides, David Blackstock, Sofia Campos, Tyler Martinez, Fayed Nassor, Teresa Ramos, Gregory Salinas

Bowie High School — Principal Mark Robinson

  • Presidential Scholar Candidate – Jason Gong
  • National Merit Finalist – Dallas Coggins
  • National Recognition – Evelyn Bautista, Gabriela Bole, Dallas Coggins, Graciela Conlan, Ethans Cuevas, Lily Gendron, Olivia Gendron, Cole Harrison, Arianna Lax, Charles Suarez, Nicholas Van Lente, Matthew Wash, Camille Zamora​​​

Crockett Early College High School — Principal Kori Crawford

  • National Merit Finalist – Samuel Zinn

Garza Independence High School — Principal Linda Webb

  • National Merit Finalist – Aidan Sander

Liberal Arts and Science Academy — Principal Stacia Crescenzi

  • Presidential Scholar Candidate – Lena Birkholz, Samuel Christian, Miguel Liu-Schiaffini, Ava McGuire, Eli Taub, Lillian Yeazell
  • National Merit Finalist – Sachin Allums, Alan Baade, Pranav Bingi, Lena Birkholz, Sofia Buntz, Samuel Christian, Sarah Collins, William DiCarlo, Evan Ellis, Caroline Greene, Sophia Heinzen, Vetriliaa Kumar, Kashvi Lalchandani, Adison Lampert, Kevin Le, Miguel Liu-Schiaffini, Mandala Pham, Ian Poe, Maya Rivi, Elinor Rivera, Nihita Sarma, Paul Schulze, Eli Taub, Emily Thompson, Samuel Tian, Hayden Tomazin, Alexander Yang, Lillian Yeazell, Luke Yium, Jeriah Yu
  • National Merit Semifinalist – Benjamin Robison
  • National Recognition – Kelly Blakely, Alejandro Cervantes, Christelle Chatelain, Nicholas Currie, James Cooper, Ethan Estrada-Stroud, Elena Gareau, Olivia Gilbert, Malena Heineman, Isaiah Hernandez-Gold, Somaya Jimenez-Haham, Carson Jones, Monica Jones, Alex Lippman, Miguel Liu-Schiaffini, Jordan Mackie, Gaelila McKaughan, Sophia McLaughlin-Diaz, Maya Mikelson, Alisha Morejon, Stephanie Noriega, Benjamin Norwood, Valeria Ortiz, Luke Plackis, Aiden Reed, Elinor Rivera, Alexandria Shepard-Davis, Felix Sosa, Paul Springer, Alexander Steyaert, Sofia Syed, Jackson Terronez, Emily Thompson, Gilberto Trevino, Joshua Urrutia, Alexander Zalles 

McCallum High School — Principal Nicole Griffith

  • National Recognition – Neilan Garcia, Addison Seckar-Martinez, Isabela Tapperson