11 Presidential Scholar Candidates from Fayette Schools.

LEXINGTON, Ky. (WTVQ) — Fayette County Public Schools announced 11 of their 90 seniors have been named candidates in the 2016 U.S. Presidential Scholars Program.

Most of Presidential Scholars are selected for their academic achievement, with 20 or so students chosen for their success in visual arts, performing arts, or creative writing. Another 20 are picked based in their achievement in career and technical education fields.

Nominated for one of the nation’s most prestigious honors, Congratulations to these candidates:

• Henry Clay High School: Kayla Beebout, and Eliza Jane Schaeffer;
• Lafayette High School: Annaliese McFarlane;
• Paul Laurence Dunbar High: Jacob Cottrell, Thomas Huang, Dasha Kolyaskina, Jasmine Liu, Joanna Slusarewicz, Abigail Woolums, Kathleen Yang, and Runyang Zhang.

The original nominations include 4,000 candidates, and will be narrowed down to 800 semifinalists in Mid-April. As many as 161 winners will be announced in early May.