Toledo: Whitmer senior is chosen to be Presidential Scholar

Sara Shepherd will be among 141 winners in the program.

Sara Shepherd, a senior at Whitmer High School, will wrap up her high school years when she is recognized next month as one of this year's Presidential Scholars in a program in Washington.

She is one of 141 winners chosen by a commission which considered young people from a field of 2,700 candidates.

Winners are chosen on the basis of academic achievement, essays and transcripts and evidence of community service and a commitment to high ideals, according to the U.S. Department of Education, which sponsors the program no in its 40th year.

She is the first person chosen from northwest Ohio since 1989.

In here years at Whitmer, she was the lead actress in its musicals for four years and was the starting guard on their varsity basketball team for all four years, including three years as captain. She has been a member of the marching band for three years and the symphonic

band four years.

At the beginning or the year, grade point average was 4.39.

She has also been active in the Toledo Repertoire Theatre since she was 5.

The recognition weekend in Washington is June 19-22.

Other top students from around the area are:

Whitmer High School: Philip Henderson, valedictorian; Cristine Larsen, salutatorian.

Southview High School: William Cheng, valedictorian; S. Nicolas Durham, salutatorian.

Northview High School: David Wernert, valedictorian; Kimberly Peters, salutatorian.

Ottawa Hills High School: Neil Mahajan, valedictorian; Sheena Dasani, salutatorian.

Springfield High School: Nicholas Courtney, valedictorian; Sean Daugherty, salutatorian.

Toledo Christian School: Drew Oostra, of Holland, valedictorian; Alissa Toth, of Toledo, salutatorian.

Maumee Valley Country Day: Jamie Wasielewski, of Erie, valedictorian. Central Catholic: Andrew Schetter, Holland, valedictorian; Jocelyn Oblizajek, Toledo, salutatorian.

Cardinal Stritch: Michael Walters, Curtice, valedictorian; Jonathan Wicks, Toledo, salutatorian.

Emmanuel Baptist: Connie Neyhart, Toledo, and Sharon Stookey, Sylvania, co-valedictorians.

Notre Dame Academy: Jennifer Enright, Maumee; Kelly Gallagher, Oregon; Hafsa Kanjwal, Sylvania; Emily Kenney, Sylvania; Lauren Kluz-Wisniewski, West Toledo; Shannon McNamara, South Toledo; Laura Miller, Bowling Green, and Megan Slanina, South Toledo, valedictorians.

St. Francis de Sales: Michael Zook, Toledo, valedictorian; David Tighe, Toledo, salutatorian.

St. John's Jesuit: Joseph Farinella, Perrysburg; Adam Holewinski, Toledo; Nathan Niese, Maumee, and Matthew Zapotosky, Toledo, valedictorians; Michael Cassidy, Toledo, salutatorian.

St. Ursula Academy: Kristen Monarch, Toledo, valedictorian; Rebecca Nusbaum, Toledo, salutatorian.