Early College at Guilford student recognized as U.S. Presidential Scholar

The Commission on Presidential Scholars selects students for the honor every year based on factors like academic excellence and a commitment to community service.

This year, more than 5,700 candidates qualified for the award, but only a small fraction were actually named U.S. Presidential Scholars.

Dishita Agarwal, an Early College at Guilford student, was one of them. A large part of her application, she says, was about the work she does to support youth with chronic illnesses and disabilities. 

“Sophomore year, I had a cardiac arrest. And it was obviously not expected. And it sort of made me realize how many things were wrong with how the school system supports students with chronic illnesses," says Agarwal. "And how poorly the accommodations are set up, like it felt like I was expected to recover in two weeks. And then anytime after that, I had to really justify.”

She became a youth health advisor for the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services last year. In that role, she’s been working on a project to empower students with special health care needs throughout the state. 

She also completed an internship with the Duke University School of Medicine focused on understanding cultural identities in relation to pediatric care. As she graduates, she wants to continue her work around youth and health, whatever shape that may take. 

“I feel like everyone wants me to sort of say what career I want to go to, like being a doctor or a scientist, but for me it's like, whatever role it takes to get those things done that I want done, which is supporting my communities," Agarwal said.

Agarwal is the first Guilford County student to be given this recognition in the past 15 years. She’s also the first student to ever receive it from her school.

The U.S. Presidential Scholars Program was created in 1964 to honor the country’s highest-performing students. Those recognized this year will be celebrated in a virtual event over the summer. 

Amy Diaz covers education for WFDD in partnership with Report For America. You can follow her on Twitter at @amydiaze.