OMAHA, Neb. — The University of Nebraska and Millard Public Schools held a special event last week to recognize a group of exceptional Millard students who earned a perfect score of 36 on the ACT and have applied to the University of Nebraska.
The event, held at the Millard North High School Auditorium on Jan. 20, honored students from Millard North, Millard South and Millard West High Schools. Each student was formally recognized as qualifying for the University of Nebraska's Presidential Scholars program—an initiative that provides Nebraska’s highest-achieving students with a full-ride scholarship covering tuition, fees, room and board, and a $5,000 annual stipend at any NU campus.
“Their accomplishment is impressive,” said Dr. John Schwartz, superintendent of Millard Public Schools. “Only two-tenths of one percent of students achieve a perfect ACT score.”
Launched in 2024, the Presidential Scholars program aims to keep top Nebraska students in-state while offering them access to meaningful academic, leadership and research opportunities.
“This is an extremely talented group of students, and many doors will be opened for you” said Dr. Jeffrey P. Gold, M.D., president of the University of Nebraska, “I commit to you that the University of Nebraska will find a way to help you chase your dreams, whatever those may be.”
The following students were honored during the event and presented with a commemorative plaque by Dr. Gold:
- Gopika Kalisetti, Millard North
- March Louthan, Millard North
- Anagha Vemmelesseril, Millard North
- Ryan Dong, Millard North
- Arnav Jain, Millard North
- Roosevelt Wilken, Millard South
- Gideon Fox, Millard West
Lucas Askew from Millard West and Cameron Johnson from Millard North were unable to attend but were still noted as honorees.
Gopika Kalisetti, a senior at Millard North, shared she was excited by the Raikes program and opportunities for interdisciplinary research within the computer science and physics program.
“I think it’s great that I get to stay in state closer to my family while pursuing a quality education at the University of Nebraska,” she said.
Gideon Fox, a senior at Millard West, attended Tuesday’s event with his parents. He plans to study geography and environmental science at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln. Both he and his parents shared how meaningful the Presidential Scholarship has been, both as a financial benefit and in knowing that Nebraska was the right fit.
Speakers included Millard Public Schools Superintendent, Dr. John Schwartz; Millard North Principal, Dr. Aaron Bearinger; NU President, Dr. Jeffrey P. Gold; and Dr. Harnoor Dhaliwal, NU Vice Provost for Innovative Student Experiences. A reception followed the program.
Dr. Harnoor Dhaliwal, who leads the program, said that while the Presidential Scholars program is indeed a financial opportunity, the most salient aspect of the program was the connection to resources at the University of Nebraska to solve real-world problems.
“Congratulations,” Dr. Dhaliwal told the students, “This is not this is not just a reflection of what you’ve done, but an investment in what you will become.”
Millard North principal Dr. Aaron Bearinger closed the event by commending the scholars for their hard work and determination.
“Millard Public School’s tagline is ‘Where opportunity ignites excellence’ and you all have surely done that,” he said.
More information on the Presidential Scholars program is available at: https://nebraska.edu/presidential-scholars/