Senior Lauren Huang was selected as one of the 141 U.S. Presidential Scholars, a nationwide program instituted by the White House Commission on Presidential Scholars and the U.S. Department of Education to acknowledge distinguished high school seniors.

“It is a huge honor to be selected as a Presidential Scholar, so I am definitely excited,” Huang said.

Interested in biology and computer science, Huang was named as a semifinalist for Biology Olympiad as well as for the 2012 Siemens Competition in Math, Science and Technology.

Huang has also been recognized as a 2013 National Merit Semifinalist, a scholarship program provided by the National Merit Scholarship Corporation.

Out of all the activities Huang is involved in, however, she believes that her dedication to community service could have been the key factor for her recent recognition.

Huang is a participant in the Teens-Helping-Kids (THinK) Club that helps elementary and middle school students in writing through online workshops. The club donates the money it has received to children in China who do not have an adequate environment for education.

“THinK has been a great experience for me, especially knowing that we can hopefully make a big difference in the lives of people all the way across the world by helping them get a good education,” Huang said.

Huang will be attending the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in the fall.