CARMEL, Ind. — Two Carmel High School seniors have received one of the highest educational honors in the country.
Seniors Archit Kalra and Amogha Medha Paleru are now part of the 59th class of U.S. Presidential Scholars for the 2023 academic year.
It's an honor awarded to only 161 high school seniors from across the U.S., and represents excellence in academic achievement, leadership and community service.
This marks the third straight year that Carmel High School has had at least one honoree.
Out of 3.7 million graduating seniors, only 5,000 even qualify based on exams and nominations.
"Both students have demonstrated exceptional academic abilities, achieving outstanding grades throughout their high school careers. In addition to their academic achievements, they have also exhibited strong leadership skills and a commitment to serving the community," the Carmel Clay School District said in a release.
Kalra graduated with a 4.74 GPA and will attend Yale University. He plans to study neuroscience and economics. During his time at Carmel, Kalra was co-editor-in-chief of the school newspaper HiLite, and was a Quiz Bowl participant. He specialized in Bhangra traditional Indian dance, had a snow removal business and was involved in biomedical engineering, astrophysics and aerospace research.
Paleru had a GPA of 4.77 and will attend Stanford University. She plans to major in human biology and public policy/economics on a pre-medical path. Paleru has a passion for the classical Indian dance Bharatanatyam, performed at Carnegie Hall, and was a multiple-time state winner at the HOSA Future Health Professionals - Internationals 4th Medical Innovation. She also loves tennis and taekwondo.