Cumberland teen among finalists for Presidential scholar

CUMBERLAND — Cumberland High School senior Alexandria Evers has been named one of 10 semifinalists in Rhode Island in the prestigious United States Presidential Scholars Program.

Of the 722 semifinalists nationwide, 161 will be selected as 2017 U.S. Presidential Scholars. The honor comes with an all-expenses-paid trip to Washington, D.C. in June, an opportunity that fits with Evers’ future goals.

“I was really excited, because there were a few other big-deal things that I had applied to, like scholarship-wise, that I found out I made it to a semifinal-ist round and didn’t get,” Evers told The Call.

“It was a reassuring thing of: I have what it takes to go to college and make it.”

She was selected as a semifinalist from among nearly 5,100 candidates for the program, which President Lyndon B. Johnson established by executive order in 1964. It was expanded in 1979 to recognize talent in the visual, creative and performing arts, and in 2015 to recognize career and technical education (CTE) students.

The 32 people on the Commission on Presidential Scholars will select the finalists on the basis of “superior academic and artistic achievements, leadership qualities, strong character and

involvement in community and school activities.”

For the general component of the program – not including arts or CTE – eligibility involves scoring exceptionally well on the SAT or SAT, being nominated by the Chief State School Officer, or being nominated by a partner recognition organization.

Two other Cumberland High School students were invited to apply: Josef Dasilva, and valedictorian David Cabatingan.

Evers said she sent in an extensive application, complete with an essay and a piece about a teacher who has influenced her, three or four months ago.

She is heavily involved at Cumberland High School, serving as president of National Honor Society, vice president for the Class of 2017 and secretary of student government. She also sings in the chorus, is a freshman mentor, and volunteers with the Gloria Gemma Breast Cancer Resource Foundation.

At School Committee and Town Council meetings in recent months, Evers has been an outspoken advocate for increased school spending.

“I’ve been proud to go here, so I hope that other people get the cool opportunities that I’ve had,” she said, adding that the high school experience is “definitely all what you make of it.”

She will be attending the University of Rhode Island in the fall, and while she is cur- rently undeclared, she is leaning toward declaring a double-major in political science and international relations. After getting an undergraduate degree, she plans to go to graduate school or law school.

Her “far-off dream” is to be a United States ambassador to another country, because of her love of learning about other cultures and desire to work on behalf of her country.

If selected as a Presidential Scholar, she would be excited to visit the nation’s capital, considering it is “the center of everything that I’ve been interested in,” and she has only been to Washington, D.C. for a day.

Scholars will receive the Presidential Scholar Medallion at a recognition ceremony.

The other semifinalists from Rhode Island are:

Lindsay Daugherty (Barrington High School)

William Yao (Barrington High School)

Andrew Lee (The Wheeler School)

Benjamin Eposito (The Wheeler School)

Sydney Jenkins (Moses Brown School)

Michael Garvey (Rogers High School)

Wilfredo Ortiz Beriguete (Providence Career & Technical Academy)

Austin Stawicki (East Providence Senior High School)

Regina Vestuti (Classical High School)

The U.S. Department of Education will announce the scholars later this month.