Huron’s Emily Hu and Skyline’s Daniel Zhou have demonstrated exceptional achievement during their high school years
They come from different high schools and pursue different passions, but Emily Hu and Daniel Zhou share a distinction that places them among the most distinguished students in the country. The two AAPS seniors have been named semifinalists in the 2026 U.S. Presidential Scholars Program, joining a select group of 627 students chosen from more than 6,500 candidates expected to graduate from U.S. high schools this year.
Emily, a senior at Huron High School, and Daniel, a senior at Skyline High School, are among only a handful of Michigan students to earn the honor—a recognition administered by the U.S. Department of Education that identifies young people of exceptional achievement in academics, the arts, and career and technical education.
A Voice for Students
Emily Hu’s most formative experience came not in a classroom but on a campaign trail.
“Over the past four years of high school, there have been many experiences that have shaped my academic journey and pushed me to always give my best effort,” she said. “One of the most influential has been serving as the State President of Business Professionals of America. Through my campaign and my visits to schools across Michigan, I had the opportunity to meet students from all across the state.”
What she heard changed her. Traveling from school to school, Emily encountered students navigating resource gaps and educational inequities she had not personally experienced.
“Hearing their experiences firsthand, I learned about the challenges many students face,” she said. “It really gave me a broader perspective on education. They reminded me to make the most of every opportunity I am given and to never take my own opportunities for granted.”
That impulse to amplify voices that might otherwise go unheard found its fullest expression in the pages of Huron’s student newspaper. She was drawn in by a conviction that good journalism holds institutions accountable and gives communities the language to understand themselves.
“Being part of my school’s newspaper has been one of the most meaningful experiences for me,” she said. “Through journalism, I get to bring awareness to things that may be overlooked and amplify student voices.”
“During the Ann Arbor Public Schools budget cuts, we helped inform the community about the intricacies of what was going on and what the impact of it would be. That experience showed me the important role student journalism plays in helping communities.”
Outside the newsroom, Emily channeled her energy into healthcare access. Her work at Hope Clinic—a nonprofit that provides care to uninsured patients in the Ypsilanti-Ann Arbor area—offered a ground-level education in the human cost of gaps in the American healthcare system. Working in the clinic’s communications department, she developed materials to help patients navigate available services.
Emily is quick to credit the mentors who shaped her.
“My counselor, Emily Mashal, has been nothing but the biggest cheerleader of my life. She has always challenged me to shoot for the stars while reminding me to stay grounded and true to myself. What I admire most about her is her unwavering dedication to her students and her commitment to helping each of them succeed.”
Her newspaper adviser, Sara Badalamente, instilled in her both a craft and a calling. “She always encourages her students to pursue stories that matter and to create their own voice,” Emily said.
Biology teacher Ms. Martha Hale, she added, “truly lights a spark in all of her students” and helped inspire her interest in healthcare and biotechnology.
Next fall, Emily will head to Johns Hopkins University to study public health and economics.
A Skyline Scholar
Daniel’s path to distinction began, in a sense, with a whiteboard.
“The best gift I have ever received is a three-by-six-foot whiteboard,” he said. Nailed into drywall, it became an unlikely portal into mathematics. In sixth grade, he said, it was a canvas for things like winged pigs migrating across the Atlantic. But then it became something more rigorous.
“Creativity became a vibrant harmony of circles, triangles, and lines,” Daniel recalled. “I would stand in front of the whiteboard for hours, fidgeting with Expo markers, and singing tunes. Finally, I had crafted my own way of appreciating math.”
That love of learning has animated Daniel’s years at Skyline, and his commitment to sharing what he has learned runs just as deep. For nine years, Daniel has spent his Saturday mornings at the Ann Arbor Math Olympiad Club, progressing from a student in a blue participant T-shirt to a Lead Student Teacher in a yellow one.
In that role, he convened teaching assistants and adult volunteers to consider how they might leave a lasting mark on the organization. One gap stood out immediately: despite its 25-year history, the club had never had an official website. Within months of those conversations, aamoc.org was live.
The mentor Daniel credits most with shaping his academic outlook is his AP Calculus teacher, Jeff Oleksinski.
“Teaching his students to appreciate the problem-solving process itself, Mr. Oleksinski has allowed me to see learning not as something to complete, but as an enjoyable and rewarding experience.”
Daniel also expressed gratitude to counselor Heather Schimmel, Coach Zosia Casterline, AAMOC director Mohammed Hassani, and researchers Allen Liu and Yongkang Xi, who introduced him to scientific research.
“I would also like to thank all my Skyline teachers, counselors, mentors, friends, and my family who have helped me along the way,” he said.
Outside the classroom, Daniel plays tennis, basketball, and the saxophone—and, after a long day, the music of Jay Chou. As he puts it: “Downtown is important, too.”
He will head to Carnegie Mellon University in the fall to study Computer Science, where he hopes to combine innovative ideas with technology to create a meaningful impact.
About the Program
The U.S. Presidential Scholars Program, established in 1964, is one of the nation’s highest honors for high school students. Semifinalists are selected by the White House Commission on Presidential Scholars from candidates identified through SAT and ACT scores, as well as nominations from state departments of education. Finalists and ultimately Scholars will be selected in the coming months. A complete list of 2026 semifinalists is available here.
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