3 Minnesota Students Among The 2021 Class Of U.S. Presidential Scholars

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- Three Minnesota students are among the 57th class of U.S. Presidential Scholars, the U.S. Department of Education announced Thursday.

Lucas Scott Eggers, of Rochester, Madelyn Dietz, of St. Paul, and Esperanza Lee, also of St. Paul, were named in the 2021 class of 161 high school seniors.

"Congratulations to Lucas, Esperanza and Madelyn for this incredible honor," said Minnesota Education Commissioner Dr. Heather Mueller, in a statement. "Your commitment to community service and academic success is inspiring, especially during these extraordinary times. We are fortunate to have such exceptional young leaders from Minnesota."

The three Minnesotans and their peers from across the country were chosen by the White House Commission on Presidential Scholars for their accomplishments in academics, the arts, career and technical fields, and community service.

The students are slated to be honored for their achievements this summer.

The students picked in this year's class were chosen from a pool of 6,000 qualified candidates. Scholars can qualify for the distinction based on their ACT or SAT scores, nominations by state officials, or via recognition by nationwide organizations.

From each state, one young man and one young woman is chosen as a presidential scholar. A pair is also chosen from the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico. Additional scholars are picked from American families abroad.

Twenty scholars are chosen for their contribution to the arts, and another 20 are chosen for excellence in career and technical fields. Fifteen of the scholars are chosen at large.

As for the Minnesota students in the class of 2021, one of them, Lee, attended high school in the state. She is graduating from Woodbury High School.

Dietz, an art scholar, attends Interlochen Arts Academy in Michigan. Last year, she was named a National Student Poet, the highest honor for youth poets in the country.

Eggers attends Choate Rosemary Hall, a college preparatory boarding school in Connecticut.