Michigan National Geographic Bee winner.
And now, a recipient of one of the nation’s highest honors for high school students.
Grand Blanc senior Shriya Yarlagadda is one of 161 high school students in the country to receive the honor of U.S. Presidential Scholar, which recognizes the country’s most distinguished graduating high school seniors.
“That was an amazing honor,” Yarlagadda said. “I was so excited because I did not expect to be receiving a nomination at all.”
The invite-only program takes students with the best test scores and exceptional talent in visual, creative and performing arts to honor students each year.
Yarlagadda’s candidacy was a total surprise, she said. Yarlagadda is one of five Michigan high school students to receive the honor, according to a Thursday, May 12 U.S. Department of Education news release.
Yarlagadda, 17, will soon graduate Summa Cum Laude from Grand Blanc High School as a member of the National Honor Society and will receive an AP Capstone diploma. Soon after, she’ll be moving on to Harvard University to continue her studies as one of only 3.43 percent of applicants accepted to the Class of 2025. She’s keeping her options open, but plans on exploring government, economics and environmental science.
In December 2018, Yarlagadda became “one of the few people in the world to ever lose Jeopardy twice.” A story that became her go-to in college interviews, Yarlagadda scored the most of all the first-round losers in a “Jeopardy! Teen” tournament-based event on NBC. So, despite her loss, she moved on to the next round as a “wild card.” It was her moving on that awarded her a $10,000 prize, which she saved to use on college expenses.
* Another Kamma Kid Sri Jaladi of Creve Coeur, Mo. – Parkway West High School also received the scholarship.
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