American Heritage Schools is the No. 1 School in Florida for Highest Number of Presidential Scholar Candidates in 2026

American Heritage Schools, the top-ranked Private K-12 School in Florida according to Niche, is proud to announce that 26 students from the Class of 2026 (15 from the Broward Campus and 11 from the Palm Beach Campus) have been named semifinalists for the U.S. Presidential Scholars Program, one of the nation’s most prestigious honors for high school seniors.

American Heritage Schools celebrates the remarkable achievements of these students and their dedication to excellence. American Heritage Schools is #1 in Florida for the highest number of U.S. Presidential Scholar candidates. American Heritage Schools is the #3 private school in the nation with the most Presidential Scholar candidates. The two campuses of American Heritage Schools account for 13% of all Presidential Scholar candidates in the state of Florida.

“Earning a spot as a Presidential Scholar candidate is a remarkable achievement that speaks to the consistent academic rigor and character of our students. We are proud to see the Class of 2026 uphold our tradition of excellence, proving once again that our graduates are prepared to lead at the highest national levels,” said Dr. Doug Laurie, president of American Heritage Schools.”

Established in 1964 by executive order of the President, this program recognizes students for outstanding academic achievement, artistic excellence, leadership, and commitment to service. Each year, approximately 500 students are selected as semifinalists from across the country. From this group, the White House Commission on Presidential Scholars will select 161 exceptional students to receive the U.S. Presidential Scholar Medallion, the highest scholastic honor awarded by the U.S. government.

Scholars are chosen based on their academic records, essays, school evaluations, community service, and leadership. Those selected will be invited to Washington, D.C., in June for a national recognition program, which includes a series of events and the official medallion presentation during a White House-sponsored ceremony.

The students from American Heritage Schools who have been named 2026 U.S. Presidential Scholars Candidates are:

Broward Campus:

• Aaron Alter, Parkland

• Daniel Cai, Weston 

• Zayn Charania, Weston

• Lindsey Cheng, Coral Springs 

• Samuel Danzig, Davie 

• Ishika Gadani, Parkland 

• Anisha Garg, Miramar 

• Alexey Guydouk, Plantation 

• Kaitlyn Lee, Sunrise 

• Yechang Liu, Weston

• Rishitha Marri, Weston 

• Kelsey Montgomery, Plantation

• Henry Nathanson, Plantation 

• Darsh Patel, Parkland

• Elizabeth Xiao, Weston

Palm Beach Campus:

• Kersh Besharat, Palm Beach Gardens

• Omar Dahabra, Boca Raton

• Ziping Dai, Delray Beach 

• Siyuan Du, Boca Raton

• Joseph Levenston, Boca Raton

• Michael Mikati, Palm Beach Gardens 

• Ryan Rohit, Delray Beach

• Sonya Singh, Delray Beach 

• Daniela Staton, Delray Beach 

• Rishan Thangaraj, Wellington 

• Cole Zuckerman, Boynton Beach

For more information about the U.S. Presidential Scholars Program and American Heritage Schools, please visit: www.ahschool.com/presidential-scholars.

By ML Staff. Content/image courtesy of American Heritage Shcools.