Lake City senior is Presidential Scholar semifinalist

COEUR d’ALENE — Christa Falk, a Lake City High School senior, has been selected as a semifinalist for the U.S. Presidential Scholars program.

She recently received an official letter from the U.S. Department of Education's Commission on Presidential Scholars informing her of her semifinalist status. Falk is among about 621 semifinalists chosen from a pool of nearly 5,300 candidates.

The Presidential Scholars Program, established in 1964, recognizes and honors distinguished graduating high school seniors. Only up to 161 students each year earn the honor. The scholars represent excellence in education and the promise of greatness in young people.

The majority of scholars are chosen because of broad academic achievement, about 20 are selected on the basis of their academic and artistic scholarship in the visual arts, performing arts or creative writing, and about 20 more are chosen because of their abilities and accomplishments in career and technical education fields.

The scholars commission will soon complete its selection of high school seniors who will be named as the 2019 U.S. Presidential Scholars. The finalists will be announced by U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos in early May.