Oxford Academy senior Veronica Shao has been named as a 2025 U.S Presidential Scholars Program semifinalist. This prestigious award, which distinguishes the nation’s most accomplished high school seniors, recognizes only 621 semi-finalists from the 5,000 candidates selected from each graduating class.
The U.S. Presidential Scholars Program, initiated in 1964, works to acknowledge standout graduating seniors in the areas of academic success, arts, and accomplishments in career and technical fields. Shao has been recognized due to her academic excellence, where she has achieved a perfect score of 1600 and 36 on her SAT and ACT, respectively.
“The first practice test I took for the SAT, I scored in the 1400s. So I just decided I’m just going to go all-in on ACT prep. I just mostly took a practice test for six weeks of summer break, one per week,” Shao said, describing how she prepared for the exams. “Then, for the SAT, I wasn’t even really prepared for it…[there were] very low stakes. I think that’s part of the reason why I did so well, though, because I feel like I perform better when there’s less pressure.”
After qualifying as a candidate, Shao was required to submit various writing supplements, similar to a college application. One of the things she decided to write about in detail was her experience with vitiligo, a skin condition that causes the loss of melanin that results in lighter patches in various areas of the body.
“It drove me to want to build a more inclusive, diverse future for people who often feel ostracized or left out, and also to combat discrimination and help people in society,” Shao said.
This passion for helping others led Shao to become involved in various extracurricular activities that focus on volunteering and community involvement. As the current vice president of Oxford’s OA Code Club, she has focused on implementing opportunities for students to get more involved in civic engagement and volunteering, such as starting a program for students to assist senior citizens with technology. Outside of school, she spends her time teaching Java and Python to underrepresented students and works as an adaptive paddleboarder, bringing open water experiences to people with physical disabilities.
After graduation, Shao plans on continuing her educational journey at Carnegie Mellon’s School of Computer Science, ranked as one of the top computer science programs in the nation by U.S. News and World Report in their 2025 ranking.
“I’ve been super interested in computer science since I was in elementary school, so I’m excited to get the opportunity to learn from top-notch professors and just dive really deeply into the field that I’ve always been interested in,” Shao said.
Shao advises incoming Oxford students to pursue their passions when it comes to finding success in their work.
“A lot of times people get caught up in trying to pad their resumes, like nonprofits that really don’t appeal to them…But if you do stuff that you’re personally passionate about, you find yourself getting engaged,” Shao said.
The U.S. Department of Education will name the finalists for the Presidential Scholars Program award later this month. Until then, Shao continues to follow her own advice: “Just do what you love, and don’t stress out too much about it.”
