WASHINGTON, D.C. — Jay Philbrick, a graduating senior at the Maine School of Science and Mathematics in Limestone, has been named one of 621 semifinalists in the 2020 U.S. Presidential Scholars Program.
The semifinalists were selected from nearly 5,600 candidates expected to graduate from U.S. high schools this year.
Inclusion in the U.S. Presidential Scholars Program, now in its 56th year, is one of the highest honors bestowed upon high school seniors. Scholars are selected on the basis of superior academic and artistic achievements, leadership qualities, strong character and involvement in community and school activities.
“I’m immensely grateful to have been selected as a semi-finalist for the United States Presidential Scholars Program. I appreciate being one step closer to the opportunity of a lifetime: to travel to our nation’s capital for such a memorable event,” said Philbrick, who is from North Yarmouth.
“My congratulations go out to all my fellow nominees and semi-finalists on their wonderful accomplishments. I am so incredibly proud to be a member of the class of 2020: even during this challenging time, so many of us are working to make the world a better place. I hope this opportunity will help me as I pursue my education further at Brown University next year, and will help me better serve the members of my community.”
Philbrick serves as the president of his school’s Student Senate and a voting member of the school’s Board of Trustees. He has been recognized for his academic talents and leadership as a winner of the United States Senate Youth Program scholarship, the lead tutor in his school’s Learning Center, and a page for the United States Senate.
He has founded an organization, known as Let ME Vote, to orchestrate voter registration drives for high school students all across the State of Maine.
He was also a finalist for the Lemelson-MIT grant, which is awarded to individuals who have created outstanding inventions or patented products that add value to society. For his project, Philbrick and his team created a system to grow and harvest algae on rooftops to be used for feedstock production.
He plans to attend Brown University, where he will double major in applied mathematics and economics, as well as public policy.
In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, he is state director for the student-led nonprofit organization Telehealth Access for Seniors, which donates video-chat-capable devices to VA hospitals and primary care providers so that seniors can receive adequate medical care without compromising social distancing measures.
The U.S. Presidential Scholars Program was established in 1964 to recognize some of the nation’s most distinguished graduating seniors for their accomplishments in academic success, leadership, and service to school and community. The program has expanded to include the visual, creative and performing arts, as well as the career and technical fields.
Annually, up to 161 U.S. Presidential Scholars are chosen and invited to Washington, D.C. in June for the National Recognition Program, featuring various events and enrichment activities and culminating in the presentation of the Presidential Scholar Medallion during a White House-sponsored ceremony.
A distinguished panel of educators have reviewed this year’s submissions and selected 621 semifinalists. 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.
For more information, call the U.S. Presidential Scholars Office at 507.931.8345, or e-mail PSP@scholarshipamerica.org.
