When Beatriz Oliveira Antunes came to the United States nine years ago from Brazil, she said she had no idea there would be so many opportunities available to her.

Those opportunities, along with her many accomplishments, led to the South Warren High School senior being named to the 59th class of U.S. Presidential Scholars.

Antunes was one of 161 seniors in the U.S. and one of only three in Kentucky to receive this year’s honor.

Students are selected annually by The White House Commission on Presidential Scholars based on their academic success, artistic and technical excellence, essays, school evaluations and transcripts, as well as a demonstrated commitment to community service and leadership.

“Receiving this honor as a senior was the best and most fulfilling way to end my high school career and begin my next chapter in college,” she said.

Antunes, who is attending Vanderbilt University in the fall as a Cornelius Vanderbilt Scholar, plans to major in biochemistry and Spanish with the goal of attending medical school in a few years and hopes to assist those who don’t have access to equitable health care.

She was nominated by the school and district to apply to the Presidential Scholars Program. After a preliminary application to narrow the pool of applicants, only 5,000 seniors in the country were allowed to apply.

The application included a list of extracurriculars, essays and recommendation letters from a teacher and the principal.

Antunes found out a few months later that she was one of 628 semifinalists. A few weeks after that, they released the final list of 161 scholars.

“When I found out on May 10, I was beaming,” Antunes said. “I did not expect to find out that day, so I casually opened my emails and saw one with the subject, ‘Congratulations 2023 U.S. Presidential Scholar.’ I was speechless and incredibly honored. The entire process of applying was surreal.”

She said that her parents are her biggest supporters and “have been incredible throughout the multitude of applications this year,” encouraging her through all of the late nights despite not having any knowledge of the American college system.

“My mom was right next to me when I opened the email,” she said. “She hugged me and we jumped and cried all at the same time.”

After making a call to her dad, they celebrated together after he got home.

“Since then, they have called everyone in our family to tell them about this honor,” she said. “I could not have asked for more encouraging and supportive parents.”

Having the support of her teachers and administrators has also helped Antunes through the process.

She credits teacher Amar Patel as being her mentor throughout high school.

She said when she was named a Presidential Scholar, she was able to highlight him as a Distinguished Teacher.

“Beatriz is an amazing student and young adult,” Patel said. “She always holds herself to the highest expectations and is never satisfied with just getting by. Academically, she works towards mastery of content in all of her classes. She puts in the time and work for everything that she does as evidenced by her GPA, AP exam scores, ACT scores and leadership roles in several extracurriculars.”

Patel, who also coaches Antunes on the Future Problem Solving Team, where she serves as team captain, said she has helped the team place top 10 at state every year, as well as receive invitations to compete at the international competition.

“FPS has been one of my favorite and most challenging extracurriculars, and I am thrilled to compete at internationals with my team this summer,” she said.

This year, Antunes also advanced to the state competitions in Beta and Future Business Leaders of America, qualifying for the national Beta Convention.

Antunes said others at the school were also instrumental in assisting her during the application process, including Kathryn Houchins, Angela Gage, Jeanne Meece and South Warren principal Jenny Hester.

“They were so helpful and understanding,” she said. “I will be forever thankful for their impact on my life.”

Antunes, who is actively involved in her school and community, is also the president of FBLA and Key Club International.

“In these clubs, I love to organize events to give back to the community and increase member involvement,” she said. “After the pandemic, I have been heavily involved in efforts to strengthen the school’s sense of community.”

She is also a student ambassador and a part of the Dance Little Red planning committee.

She said she also participates in clubs that “allow me to challenge myself academically,” like being involved with the National Beta Club as social media committee chair and with the FPS team as team captain.

“Through these activities, I have learned how to think critically and be a servant leader,” she said.

Outside of school, Antunes participates in Dueña de mi Futuro, a club that empowers young Latinas to chase after their dreams while also providing guidance to make those dreams a reality.

Antunes said her favorite subjects are biology and chemistry and she credits her biology teacher Andrea Ray and Patel, who motivated her to learn more about how chemistry and biology work together in the human body.

“I also enjoy Spanish because, although it is not my native language, I am intrigued by the similarities between Portugese and Spanish,” she said. “As my Spanish teacher Mrs. Laramore reminds me, I know that by increasing my Spanish proficiency, I will be able to help more people when I become a doctor.”

Patel commends Antunes not just for her academic achievements, but for also having a “strong and giving personality.”

“She is there to help others and is willing to make the right decisions, even when they are hard or unpopular,” he said. “ I am thankful I have had the opportunity to teach, mentor and coach Beatriz over these past four years. I know she will accomplish great things and make positive contributions to society.”