Valley's Claire Gu Named 2023 U.S. Presidential Scholar (05/10/23)
May 10, 2023 | Valley High School senior Claire Gu has been named to the 59th class of U.S. Presidential Scholars, the Iowa Department of Education (IDOE) announced Tuesday, May 10.
Gu, a tennis champion and four-time All-State violinist, was recognized for her academic success. U.S. Presidential Scholars are selected based on their academic achievement, artistic and technical excellence, essays, school evaluations, and transcripts, as well as evidence of community service, leadership, and demonstrated commitment to high ideals.
The program recognizes up to 161 high school seniors from across the country for their accomplishments in academics, the arts, and career and technical education fields. Gu is one of four Iowa students to be named U.S. Presidential Scholars — one of the nation's highest honors for high school students — along with Eshaan Chandani from Johnston, Tejas Kishan Gururaja from Linn-Marr High School, and Alaina Marie Whittington from Diagonal.
“Congratulations to Eshaan, Claire, Tejas, and Alaina for this well-earned and prestigious recognition, which is one of the nation's highest honors for high school students,” IDOE Director Chad Aldis said in a statement. “Being named a U.S. Presidential Scholar is a testament to their hard work, academic achievement, and commitment to service and leadership over the past four years. Iowa is proud to recognize the achievements of these amazing scholars and I look forward to their accomplishments in the years to come.”
As directed by Presidential Executive Order, the 2023 U.S. Presidential Scholars are comprised of students from each state, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico, and U.S. families living abroad, as well as 15 chosen at-large, 20 scholars in the arts, and 20 scholars in career and technical education.
Please join us in congratulating Claire for being named a U.S. Presidential Scholar!
