Chen named U.S. Presidential Scholar

Sabrina Chen receives congratulations as an U.S. Presidential Scholar from Sylvia Lambert, Principal of Bob Jones High School. CONTRIBUTED

MADISON – Sabrina Chen at Bob Jones High School has earned the prestigious distinction of U.S. Presidential Scholar.

Chen is one of 160 outstanding high school students from across the country who have demonstrated outstanding academic achievement, artistic excellence, leadership, citizenship, service, and contribution to school and community.

Ms. Chen will join other presidential scholars at the White House this summer for an expenses-paid awards ceremony, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Education.

“Sabrina is a brilliant student, stellar tutor and innovative entrepreneur. Her concern and understanding for both global and local issues is evident in her humanitarian efforts. She is a ray of sunshine to me and every day at Bob Jones,” said Bob Jones Principal Sylvia Lambert.

Other Bob Jones candidates for 2016 were Alice Grissom, Kevin Duan, Lilli Ames and Kayla Buckelew. Ames and Chen advanced as semifinalists. Ultimately, the White House Commission on Presidential Scholars used a panel review to select Chen.

Presidential Scholar candidates from James Clemens High School this year include Julia Gorti, Pratheek Bobba and Michelle Abreo. Abreo qualified as a semifinalist.

For the past four years, Chen is the fourth Bob Jones student to earn the rank of U.S. Presidential Scholar. This record “is a very impressive feat, given that generally only two per state are named each year,” Lambert said.

Chen was selected from an original field of 4,000 candidates that was narrowed to 800 semifinalists.

During her career at Bob Jones, Chen collected numerous honors from Scholastic Arts & Writing Awards at New York City’s Carnegie Hall. In 2013, she served as a state co-coach for the National MATHCOUNTS team that competed in Washington D.C.

In addition, she entered the Alabama Science Olympiad and Spelling Bee three years.

Chen founded the Eat Pie Institute of Mathematics, which supplies study material for MATHCOUNTS and other national math contests. Eat Pie’s mission is to create “a self-sustaining learning network, in which the community teaches the community and anybody can affect change, regardless of age. It’s about connection and building friendships,” Chen said.

This summer, Chen is the Alabama Coach for the American Regions Mathematics League (ARML) on campus at the University of Georgia.

For more information, visit www.ed.gov/psp.