Polk County Public Schools
Mark H. Kavesh, a senior at Bartow International Baccalaureate, was announced as a 2008 United States Presidential Scholar and will be honored in Washington, D.C. from June 21 to 24. Kavesh, a Lakeland resident, is one of 139 Presidential Scholars named nationally and one of five from the state of Florida.
The United States Presidential Scholars are a program of the United States Department of Education and honors students for academic achievement, artistic excellence, leadership, citizenship and service at school and in their community.
From nearly 2.8 million graduating high school seniors, approximately 3,000 students are identified as Presidential Scholar candidates. The candidates are identified for the academic component of the U.S. Presidential Scholars program based on their scores on the College Board SAT or ACT assessment.
Kavesh achieved a 36 in 2007 on the ACT test, the highest possible composite score. He took the test in February 2007. ACT CEO and Chairman of the Board Richard Ferguson noted at the time that 304,000 students nationally took the test in February 2007 and only 30 students achieved a 36. Kavesh was the only student to achieve the highest possible score among 25,000 in Florida taking the ACT in February 2007.
Kavesh was president of the Bartow High/International Baccalaureate National Honor Society and a member of Polk’s Academic Team which finished second in the 2008 Commissioner’s Academic Challenge, the state academic tourney. Kavesh was also a member of the Chem-a-thon chemistry team, Spanish and Key clubs and a trial attorney for the Polk County Teen Court program.
Kavesh is also a gifted musician and been concertmaster and principal violinist with the Florida Symphony Youth Orchestra and performed with the World Symphony Youth Orchestra. He was concertmaster for the Interlochen Philharmonic at Michigan's Interlochen Center for the Arts.
Kavesh has also won honors at regional, state and international science fairs for his study of atrial fibrillation.
Each Presidential Scholar can also invite their most inspiring and challenging teacher to travel to Washington, D.C. to receive a Teacher Recognition Award from the U.S. Department of Education and to participate in recognition events. Judith Bond, a teacher at Bartow High/International Baccalaureate, was chosen for this recognition by Kavesh.
More information on the U.S. Presidential Scholars program is available by visiting http://www.ed.gov/programs/psp/index.html.
Information: Ed Vetter, Bartow International Baccalaureate principal, (863) 534-0194.