Two Montgomery County Public Schools graduates have been named 2026 U.S. Presidential Scholars, one of the highest federal honors a high school senior can receive.

Cooper Liu Li, a Montgomery Blair High School graduate, and Grace E. Li, a Richard Montgomery High School graduate, were selected alongside one other Maryland student, Chelsea I. Sun of Atholton High School in Howard County, according to MocoShow.

The U.S. Presidential Scholars Program selects up to 161 graduating seniors each year, according to the U.S. Department of Education. This year, more than 6,700 candidates qualified for consideration out of 3.9 million graduating seniors, according to the Hawaii Department of Education, which announced its own state honorees. Candidates qualified based on SAT or ACT performance or nominations by chief state school officers.

The White House Commission on Presidential Scholars chose the final honorees based on academic excellence, artistic and technical talent, essays, school recommendations and evidence of leadership and community service.

The competition is steep.

Maryland State Superintendent of Schools Carey Wright said in a statement that the honorees "represent the best and brightest in Maryland," as Patch reported. Wright said the honor recognizes both the students' academic achievements and the dedication of their educators, families and school communities.

Each year's class includes one male and one female student from every state, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and U.S. families living abroad, Forbes reported. An additional 55 scholars are chosen in the arts, career and technical education and at-large categories. The award does not carry a monetary stipend, but each 2026 scholar will receive an engraved U.S. Presidential Scholars medallion.

President Lyndon B. Johnson established the program in 1964 by executive order. It expanded in 1979 to recognize talent in the visual, creative and performing arts, and again in 2015 to honor achievement in career and technical education, according to the Department of Education. The program has recognized about 8,800 students since its founding, according to Forbes.

The recognition comes during a strong stretch for MCPS. The district reported Oct. 29 that 134 schools, or 67%, earned four- or five-star ratings on the 2026 Maryland School Report Card, up from fewer than half three years ago.