Congratulations to senior Meilan Steimle, who has been named a 2017 Presidential Scholar of the Arts! As one of just 161 scholars nationwide, she is now eligible to attend an expense-paid trip to Washington, D.C. in June, where this year’s scholars will be honored. Scholars who attend this event will have the chance to meet with leading educators, scientists and authors, as well make new friends among their peers.
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April 21, 2017:
Earlier this week, seniors Manan Shah and Meilan Steimle were named semifinalists in the 2017 U.S. Presidential Scholars Program. Their applications will be reviewed by the Commission on Presidential Scholars to determine this year’s Presidential Scholars.
Congratulations and good luck!
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Last month, the U.S. Department of Education announced this year’s candidates for the U.S. Presidential Scholars Program, and 19 Harker seniors were among them. Mission San Jose topped the local charts with 31. As many as 161 of the more than 5,000 candidates will be chosen as scholars.
The Presidential Scholars Program, launched in 1964, recognizes high school seniors of distinguished achievement in a variety of disciplines. It is recognized as one of the highest honors awarded to high school students.
Harker’s Presidential Scholar candidates for 2017 are:
Kai-Siang Ang
Steven Cao
Aditya Dhar
Davis Dunaway
Ria Gandhi
Andrew Gu
Zhuoying Huang
Lauren Liu
Sanjana Marce
Sandip Nirmel
Evani Radiya-Dixit
Divya Rajasekharan
Andrew Rule
Venkat Sankar
Manan Shah
Meilan Steimle
Arjun Subramaniam
Andrew Tierno
Michael Tseitlin
Correction: An earlier version of this story incorrectly stated that Harker has the highest number of candidates from a school in California. Mission San Jose High School has 31 presidential scholar candidates, making it the California school with the most candidates. We apologize for the error.
Each year, a small number of students apply for and are selected to receive research grants from two endowments, the John Near Excellence in History Education Endowment Fund, established in 2009, and the Mitra Family Endowment for the Humanities, established in 2011. The endowments provide funding each year for eight or nine seniors to pursue topics of their choice in depth. To date, 28 Near scholars and 19 Mitra scholars have completed papers on subjects ranging from a study of the Gettysburg campaign during the Civil War (2011) to the influence of punk music on the overthrow of the Soviet regime in Poland (2017), with many interesting titles in between.
The scholars, along with their mentors and parents, gather each spring at a reception on campus to celebrate the end of the long, sometimes trying, but always enlightening, journey. The student papers are a collaborative effort driven by the student, with the help of one or two history department mentors and an upper school librarian mentor. The mentors help students negotiate the highways and byways of in-depth research and compile the research into a coherent paper. At the reception, each scholar says a few words about their effort and then a mentor speaks to the journey he or she helped facilitate. What emerges is that the learning is great and the bonds of scholarship are strong.
“Tonight, we celebrate passion, persistence and partnership,” said Donna Gilbert, history department chair, as she opened the reception in late April. The mentors were there to “correct, guide and confront, not just cheerlead,” she said. Mentors questioned researchers’ presumptions, advised them to change direction, rewrite, reexamine, reorganize and narrow their focus, she added.
Susan Smith, Harker library director, noted this year’s scholars used 315 sources, appended 896 end notes and wrote 380 pages in their researches. “We celebrate the hundreds of hours of research that led you to scholarly analysis of literature, oral histories, journals, maps, images, technical papers and interviews. We celebrate all that you learned in the process of thinking deeply,” she said.
“We celebrate the bumps in the road that caused you to question, rethink, organize and question, again. That’s how you build new knowledge. Mostly, we celebrate your love of learning. There is no trophy to win or prize to take home, except what you learned along the way,” Smith finished.
Each scholar spoke for several minutes, touching on how deeply grateful they are for the support of their parents in the grueling effort to produce a great paper, as well as for the foundation of support from their library and history department mentors.
All scholars had poignant memories of how mentors and parents helped them through rough spots. All papers are listed below.
“Honestly, you have given me, and all of us, the chance to explore interests that I don’t think many of us knew we even had,” said Aditya Dhar. “The Near/Mitra program offers us unparalleled opportunities to learn more, not only about the rich history of different issues, but also about the broader research process.”
Dhar’s history department mentor, Katy Rees, noted “The real value of the Near/Mitra program is it can give students the opportunity to engage in authentic and independent research at a level that is impossible in the classroom.”
Andrew Rule found a true home in the research program. “I believe deeply in reading and in storytelling. I kind of would like to say I’m going to devote my entire life to storytelling, but in some ways, I’ve already started,” he said. “The idea is that myth is cyclical, that its ending is another beginning, and the ending of this paper is another beginning for me. I have a long, long way to go with Native American literature before I’m done, so thank you for this beginning.”
Rule’s history department mentor, Mark Janda, noted Rule “argues for the validity and the beauty of oral traditions [and] illustrates in his research the growing endless joy derived from literature when we understand the historical context that informs the writer or the speaker of that literature.”
Each scholar and mentor who spoke added to the sense that true scholarship had resulted from the efforts of the students. Each expressed passion for his or her topic and recognized the valuable skills he or she had gained in researching and writing the paper.
Soham Khan spoke for all the scholars when he said, “I’d like to acknowledge the Near/Mitra Endowments for empowering us to conduct high level research in the humanities. After all, the purpose of genuine scholastic inquiry is to examine the complexity of human experience, and I’m so grateful to have been offered this opportunity to explore my passion in a supportive space that affirmed my aspirations.”
The 2017-18 Near Scholars, all seniors, next year, will be Amy Jin, Matthew Lee, Andrew Semenza, Isabella Spradlin and Derek Yen. Mitra grant scholars are Nirban Bhatia, Emily Chen, Jacqueline He, Alan Jiang and Serena Lu. Best of luck to all these scholars as they begin their journey!
Joe Rosenthal, executive director of advancement, closed the event noting not only the hard work and wonderful scholarship on display, but the tremendous poise scholars displayed in presenting their papers. “Many years ago, when we talked with John Near about this concept,” said Rosenthal, “he really had a vision to continue to help the school in a way where students can really study and be very serious about researching topics that are of interest to them in the area of history, and the Mitra endowment followed that lead.”
“The idea was not only to help the students, but also to have deep involvement from the faculty. Sue [Smith] and Donna [Gilbert] have put together a program that is really, absolutely, what John had in mind when he conceived of this program. He would be very, very proud of what we are doing now, that’s for sure.”
Arnav Tandon: “Cross-Cultural Camaraderie: Tracing the Roots of Cicero’s Philosophy on Friendship to Aristotelian Ideas”
Maya Valluru: “Listen, This One’s for You: The Influence of Punk Music in the 1989 Overthrow of the Soviet Communist Regime in Poland”
Raymond Xu: “Saving Health Aid from Death’s Door: Analyzing Fraud in the The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria Through the Principle-Agent Problem in Nigeria”
Tiffany Zhu: “Putting the Realism in Socialist Realism: Gorky’s ‘Mother’ as a Bridge between Soviet and Chernyshevskian Aesthetics”
Near Endowment Papers
Aditya Dhar: “Constitutional Conundrums and Measuring Minimalism: Analyzing the Incorporation of Restraint and Avoidance Canons in the Roberts Court’s Decision in Citizens United v. FEC”
Soham Khan: “Truth is a Pathless Land: Examining the Influence of Theosophy on Jiddu Krishnamurti’s Philosophy”
Sarisha Kurup: “Art in the Era of AIDS: A Look at the Emergence of ‘AIDS Art’ in 1980s and 90s New York City as a Result of AIDS Activism”
Andrew Rule: “Sunrise, Sunrise: Repurposing the Native American Oral Tradition in the Literature of the Activist 1970s”
Molly Wancewicz: “Crossing the Line: Angelina Grimké’s and Sojourner Truth’s Motivations as Representative of the Interaction Between the Women’s Suffrage and Abolition Movements”
Read more about the Near and Mitra Endowments at Harker News
Harker earned the top spot in a survey of SAT scores at regional high schools, according to a report published this week by the San Francisco Business Times, based on data from Niche, a school rating site. The report notes that out of 72 private high schools in the Bay Area, the top 10 all have SAT scores averaging above 1350 out of a possible 1600. The report notes, “The highest average SAT score for the schools surveyed was 1480, a jump of 50 points from the highest scoring public high school in the Bay Area.” At 1480, Harker had the highest average among private schools, according to the report. Here is the full article.
Cindy Proctor and Larissa Weaver’s grade 1 language arts students participated in a special project in January that had them conjuring up inventions as a tie-in with their literature readings. The project, first conducted three years ago, involves students using items from an Idea Box to invent something that can be used to make everyday life easier or more enjoyable. Students were required to invent items that could be utilized by lots of people, but they could not be used for time travel or violent purposes.
“We read stories in language arts class that highlight the importance of new ideas, the history of real inventions and books that teach the children about inventors, adult and child, fiction and non-fiction,” said Proctor. “We guide the children to understand that inventing is a process and that mistakes are part of this process.”
Students work on their inventions at home and periodically update their classmates on their progress, including the challenges they’ve faced. Classmates often respond with assistance and encouragement, which teaches the students that invention is often a collaborative endeavor.
The young inventors also learn how to give a presentation on their inventions to their classmates at an Invention Convention, during which grade 2 students who participated the previous year visit the class.
This year, Sam Mazin, who created the technology behind the company RefleXion Medical, made an appearance to speak with the students about the invention process. He also met individually with students to talk about their inventions.
“All the children did an amazing job extending themselves and approaching the task with eagerness, creativity and perseverance,” Proctor said. For example, Augusta Chen devised a machine for students who have trouble remembering to do homework, while Omya Vidyarthi’s “Fly Chair” helps the physically disabled enter and exit their homes. The “Camping Fooder,” invented by Jacob Chung, prepares food for outdoors enthusiasts, while Aarav Mann’s “Rolling Shoes” aim to provide locomotion to those who cannot easily walk.
Over the two-week period from idea to invention to presentation, the students learn important lessons about “ingenuity, perseverance, problem solving and communicating an idea,” Proctor said. “We encourage the children to allow themselves to think, reflect, and make their ideas grow into something tangible. The Invention Convention is a celebration of their thinking process from the abstract to the concrete.”
The Harker chapter of the National Honor Society inducted a record 50 new members on Oct. 6 during a ceremony held at Nichols Hall auditorium.
“We believe that these (and all) NHS members represent the highest ideals of Harker – avid scholarship, impeccable character, strong leadership and a proven dedication to serving others,” said biology teacher Mike Pistacchi, who serves as Harker’s NHS moderator.
Founded in 1921, the National Honor Society recognizes high school students who demonstrate excellence in a variety of areas, including scholarship, student leadership and service.
This year’s NHS inductees are:
Joyce Zhao, grade 12; Akhil Arun, Anika Banga, Richa Bhattacharya, Rahul Bhethanabotla, Shreyas Chandrashekaran, Jerry Chen, Adrian Chu, Aria Coalson, Shaan Gagneja, Megan Huynh, Anamika Kannan, Linus Li, Millie Lin, Sameep Mangat, Rahul Mehta and Tanvi Singh, all grade 11; and Raymond Banke, Logan Bhamidipaty, Alycia Cary, Timothy Chang, Nicole Chen, Esha Deokar, Rose Guan, Constance Horng, Shafieen Ibrahim, Hannah Lak, Taylor Lam, Enya Lu, Ihita Mandal, Sonal Muthal, Rithvik Panchapakesan, Ayush Pancholy, Brian Park, Ashwin Rammohan, Nishant Ravi, Ashwin Reddy, Anjay Saklecha, Ruhi Sayana, Kelly Shen, Kaushik Shivakumar, Neha Tallapragada, Katherine Tian, Alyson Wang, Cindy Wang, Richard Wang, Shania Wang, Kelsey Wu, Stephanie Xiao and Connie Xu, all grade 10.
A total of 45 Harker seniors, 24 percent of the class of 190, were named semifinalists in the 2017 National Merit Scholarship Program, the National Merit Scholarship Corp. (NMSC) announced on Sept. 14. They are among 16,000 semifinalists out 1.6 million students who entered the program by taking the Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT) in their junior year. National Merit semifinalists represent less than 1 percent of U.S. high school students.
Additionally, Harker had 65 students who placed in the top 3 percent of test takers nationwide, whom the NMSC has recognized as Commended Students. This number, combined with the number of semifinalists, brings the number of Harker seniors recognized by National Merit to 110, or 58% of the Class of 2017.
This year’s semifinalists are:
Sana Aladin, Kai-Siang Ang, Steven Cao, Cuebeom Choi, Aditya Dhar, Trisha Dwivedi, Ria Gandhi, Rishab Gargeya, Catherine Huang, Zhuoying Huang, Neymika Jain, Preethi Kandappan, Soham Khan, Angela Kim, Winifred Li, Lauren Liu, Rishi Maheshwari, Sanjana Marce, Colt McNealy, Connie Miao, Anuva Mittal, Kshithija Mulam, Sandip Nirmel, Judy Pan, Srivatsav Pyda, Divya Rajasekharan, Elizabeth Rensin, Alayna Richmond, Andrew Rule, Venkat Sankar, Manan Shah, Vedaad Shakib, Amrita Singh, Scott Song, Meilan Steimle, Arjun Subramaniam, Arnav Tandon, Andrew Tierno, Molly Wancewicz, Peter Wu, Albert Xu, Raymond Xu, Austin Zhang, David Zhu and Tiffany Zhu.
To become finalists, semifinalists must submit a scholarship application that details their academic record, community involvement, leadership qualities and another criteria. Winners of National Merit scholarships will be notified in spring 2017.
Harker senior Aditya Dhar was named to Debate Team USA! He is one of only nine students selected nationwide to represent the U.S. in World Schools Debate. The team, selected from applications submitted to the National Speech & Debate Association, will compete in a series of global debate competitions with teams from six continents, and will finish up at the World Championship in August.
The application process began in May and took several months, said Cindi Timmons, team manager and coach. The selection process was rigorous. “From hundreds of applicants that began with an online application, a series of essays, a teacher and administrator recommendation, and a video speech, we moved to a semifinal round that involved another video of a debate speech and then to the final 20 that participated in an online interview process with a nationwide panel,” she noted.
The team has an extensive travel schedule, including trips to the EurOpen in Hamburg, Germany, the PanAm Tournament in Buenos Aires, Argentina, and domestic trips. The year will culminate at the World Championship in Bali, Indonesia, in August. Go Aditya!
Michael Zhao, another 2016 graduate, was recently named a 2016 winner of a National Merit Scholarship, bringing the total number of winners to 13. Congratulations!
Update: June 9, 2016
Three more members of the Class of 2016 have won National Merit Scholarships, the National Merit Scholarship Corporation announced in early June. These college-sponsored scholarship winners are Stephanie Huang (Northwestern University), Joshua Hung (University of Southern California) and Jonathan Dai (Northwestern University).
This announcement brings the total number of National Merit Scholarship winners from the 2016 senior class to 12.
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The National Merit Scholarship Corporation just announced this year’s $2,500 National Merit Scholarship winners, and six Harker seniors are among them. Karen Qi, Evan Lohn, Vivek Bharadwaj, Victoria Ding, Anika Mohindra and Allison Wang were among 2,500 scholarship winners nationwide, who were chosen from more than 15,000 finalists.
Last month, seniors Emily Pan, Esther Wang and Vineet Kosaraju were among 1,000 students nationwide to receive corporate-sponsored Merit Scholarship awards.
College-sponsored Merit Scholarship winners will be announced in June and July.
More than 1.5 million high school students were entered into this year’s National Merit Scholarship Program after taking the Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test in October 2014. Less than 1 percent of these students went on to the semifinal round of the competition, and 15,000 of those were named finalists. To be eligible for a National Merit Scholarship, semifinalists must demonstrate good academic standing, be recommended by a school official and receive scores on their SAT exams consistent with their performance on the qualifying tests. They must also complete an application that details the awards they’ve received, their extracurricular activities and leadership positions they have held.
Swapnil Garg, grade 10, won a gold medal in this year’s U.S. Physics Olympiad, sponsored by the American Association of Physics Teachers (AAPT). Although he did not make the team that will participate in this year’s International Physics Olympiad, Garg was one of only 35 students (out of about 400 who qualified to take the USA Physics Olympiad Exam) to earn a gold medal.
Peter Wu and David Zhu, both grade 11, received silver medals in the contest, while sophomore Jimmy Lin, and seniors Jonathan Ma and Michael Zhao received honorable mentions.
As a top scorer in the United States of America Mathematical Olympiad (USAMO), Swapnil Garg, grade 10, was recently invited to participate in the Mathematical Olympiad Summer Program (MOSP) at Carnegie Mellon University.
“The purpose of the MOSP program is to broaden participants’ view of mathematics and foster their excitement toward further study,” said Anthony Silk, upper school math teacher. “It prepares students for possible future participation on our International Mathematical Olympiad team, as well as for possible careers involving mathematics.”
Garg is one of several Harker students who qualified to take part in the USAMO and the USA Junior Mathematical Olympiad (USAJMO) based on their performance in the American Mathematics Competitions (AMC) and American Invitational Mathematics Examination (AIME).
Other USAMO qualifiers were senior Richard Yi, junior Kai Ang and junior David Zhu. Sophomore Jimmy Lin, and freshmen Katherine Tian and Michael Wang qualified for the USAJMO. More than 200,000 students took the AMC 10 (grades 10 and below) and AMC 12 (grades 12 and below) exams.
The top 230 scorers on the AMC 10 qualify to compete in the USAJMO. The AMC 12’s top 270 scorers are eligible to participate in the USAMO.