Hanna senior named 2022 Presidential Scholar

Jorge Jasso, a senior at Hanna Early College High School in Brownsville, has been chosen as a 2022 U.S. Presidential Scholar, joining a group of 161 outstanding U.S. high school seniors chosen for the award.

The White House Commission on Presidential Scholars selects scholars annually based on their academic success, artistic and technical excellence, essays, school evaluations and transcripts, as well as evidence of community service, leadership and demonstrated commitment to high ideals.

Of the 3.7 million students expected to graduate from high school this year, more than 5,000 qualified for the 2022 awards, as determined by outstanding performance on the College Board SAT or ACT exams or through nominations made by chief state school officers, other partner recognition organizations and YoungArts, the National Foundation for the Advancement of Artists.

The 2022 scholars include one young man and one young women from each state, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico, and U.S. families living abroad, as well as 15 chosen at-large, 20 scholars in the arts and 20 scholars in career and technical education, the category in which Jasso was chosen..

Created in 1964, the U.S. Presidential Scholars Program has honored approximately 7,900 of the nation’s top-performing students.

Since 1983, each U.S. Presidential Scholar has been asked to name his or her most influential teacher, and that teacher is honored with a personal letter from the Secretary of Education. Jasso chose Xavier Gonzalez, an engineering teacher at Hanna, for this recognition.

The Presidential Scholars Class of 2022 will be recognized for their outstanding achievement this summer with an online recognition program.