Presidential pupil

COEUR d'ALENE - A Coeur d'Alene High School senior has been named a Presidential Scholar.

United States Secretary of Education Arne Duncan announced Monday that Nick Induni is one of 141 high school seniors in the nation's Class of 2011 to be selected for the honor.

"The U.S. Presidential Scholars exemplify what dedication to achievement and setting high standards can symbolize for all youth," Duncan said, in a prepared statement. "The Department of Education congratulates these students on their artistic and academic accomplishments."

Induni was one of 3,000 U.S. students to qualify for consideration based on outstanding performance on the SAT or ACT exams, or for outstanding performance in the arts.

Induni earned a near-perfect total SAT score. The test is given in three parts - writing, reading and mathematics - with a possible high score of 800 in each section. He scored 2,330 out of the possible 2,400 perfect score. He received perfect scores on additional subject tests in math and science.

He was notified in April that he had been selected as one of 560 semifinalists.

Induni will travel in June to Washington, D.C. While in the nation's capitol, he will be honored at the White House, with his fellow scholars.

Each scholar is given the opportunity to invite his or her most inspiring and challenging teacher to travel to Washington, D.C., to receive a Teacher Recognition Award from the Department of Education. Induni selected CHS science teacher Erik Karns.

"He's been so helpful to me, because I'm a scientist," Induni told The Press last month, after achieving semifinalist status.

It has been 22 years since a graduating senior from Kootenai County has been named a Presidential Scholar. Tamara Felton, Post Falls High School, was named a scholar in 1989.

Coeur d'Alene High School has two other graduates who have received the honor: Jennie Orr, 1969, and Bruce Reed, 1978.

Induni will attend Harvard University in the fall. He plans to study physics.