Boise School District Leads Idaho with the Most U.S. Presidential Scholar Candidates

Boise, ID -- 02/05/2025 — The Boise School District proudly announces that 28 of its high school seniors have been named candidates in the prestigious 2025 U.S. Presidential Scholars Program, the highest number of candidates from any single public or private school or school district in Idaho.

Out of 80 Idaho high school seniors selected statewide, Boise School District students account for an impressive 35% of the total candidates. This remarkable achievement is even more noteworthy given that the Boise School District represents just 7% of Idaho's total public school enrollment.

"This outstanding accomplishment is a testament not only to the hard work and dedication of our students but also to the comprehensive, high-quality education provided in the Boise School District," said Superintendent Lisa Roberts. "Our highly qualified teachers and support staff are committed to fostering academic excellence, leadership, and a love of learning in every student. We are incredibly proud of these scholars who exemplify the very best of what public education can achieve. Congratulations to all our U.S. Presidential Scholar Candidates—you inspire us all!"

The following Boise School District students have been named 2025 U.S. Presidential Scholar Candidates (listed alphabetically by last name):

Youssef Belhadj

Capital High School

Owen Bolick

Boise High School

Caleb Boyce

Boise High School

Ethan Chen

Boise High School

Zayah W. Cortright

Boise High School

Maibre E. Edwards

Timberline High School

Chloe Graepel

Boise High School

Lillian Hansen

Borah High School

Quinn R. Hoene

Timberline High School

Yuji R. Huff

Timberline High School

John D. Istafanous

Boise High School

Yekyeong Lee

Timberline High School

Pierre-Johan C. Lehn

Timberline High School

Jalen Lu

Timberline High School

Timothy Merrell

Borah High School

Torsten Mikkola

Timberline High School

Kathy Nie

Timberline High School

Paige G. Porter

Timberline High School

Liliana Rauer

Boise High School

Yvonne Y. Shen

Boise High School

McLaren J. Steffen

Timberline High School

Sascha Stoll

Boise High School

Yu-Ting S. Sun

Timberline High School

Vishal Suresh

Timberline High School

Towako Tamano

Timberline High School

Alison A. Turcke

Boise High School

Paul J. Valentine

Timberline High School

Buzhihao Yang

Boise High School

About Boise School District 

Boise School District (BSD) is a high-performing, nationally recognized public school system consisting of 33 elementary schools, 8 junior high schools, and 6 senior high schools, including Boise Online Secondary School, serving approximately 22,500 students.



Dedicated to creating tomorrow’s leaders, our highly educated and passionate staff provide a high-quality education that prepares each student for success in college, career, and life. We offer a student-focused learning model with a variety of specialized programs, including free Full-Day Kindergarten, Pre-K, Montessori, Dual Language, Boise Online School (Boise Online Elementary School and Boise Online Secondary School), Full-Day and Highly Gifted elementary programs, the Treasure Valley Math and Science Center, Dennis Technical Center, and the state’s leading Advanced Placement program.

Discover how Boise School District is Educating Today for a Better Tomorrow at www.boiseschools.org

News Media Contact:

Dan Hollar

Public Affairs Administrator

Boise School District 

dan.hollar@boiseschools.org

(208) 854-4064 (W)

(208) 890-8309 (C) 

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