and extracurricular activities, and an analysis of their essays. Career and Technical Education candidates enter the U.S. Presidential Scholars Program selection process at the semifinalist level. In April the White House Commission on Presidential Scholars makes the final selection of up to twenty U.S. Presidential Scholars in Career and Technical Education. Prominent scholars Academic Richard Alley (1976, Ohio) - geosciences professor at Pennsylvania State University Patrick Chovanec (1988, Illinois) - business professor at Tsinghua University, former aide to Speaker of the House John Boehner Kristin Forbes (1988, New Hampshire) - business professor at MIT, former member of Council of Economic Advisors Elizabeth Kiss (1979, Virginia) - eighth president of Agnes Scott College, first female Warden of Rhodes House, Oxford University and CEO of the Rhodes Trust Kermit Roosevelt III (1989, District of Columbia) - author, law professor at University of Pennsylvania Arts Suzette Charles (1981, New Jersey) – Miss America 1984, singer and entertainer Claire Chase (1996, California) - flutist, composer, professor of music Harvard University, and winner of a MacArthur Fellowship Rita Dove (1970, Ohio) – Poet Laureate of the United States, winner of Pulitzer Prize for Poetry Desmond Richardson (1986) – dancer, co-founder of Complexions Contemporary Ballet Josh Singer (1990, Pennsylvania) – screenwriter Conrad Tao (2011, New York) – pianist, composer and violinist Dominique Thorne (2015, New York) – actress Civil rights Martha J. Bergmark (1966, Mississippi) - attorney, civil rights advocate, writer, Executive Director of Voices for Civil Justice, recognized as Champion of Change by Obama White House in 2011, U.S. Presidential Scholars Foundation Roosevelt “Rosey” Thompson award, 2018. Energy Amory Lovins (1964, Massachusetts) - environmentalist, Chairman and Chief Scientist of the Rocky Mountain Institute Government and politics Donald S. Beyer Jr. (1968, District of Columbia) – U.S. House of Representatives (D, VA-8), former ambassador to Switzerland and Liechtenstein, former Lieutenant Governor of Virginia Mitch Daniels (1967, Indiana) – President of Purdue University, former Governor of Indiana, former Director of U.S. Office of Management and Budget Merrick Garland (1970, Illinois) – United States Attorney General, Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, Associate Justice nominee George P. Kent (1985, South Carolina) – Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs Bruce Reed (1978, Idaho) – CEO of the Democratic Leadership Council, former aide to President Bill Clinton Michelle Wu (2003, Illinois) – Mayor of Boston Technology Clara Shih