South Warren High School student named US Presidential Scholar

BOWLING GREEN, Ky. – A South Warren High School senior has received an incredible honor as one of three U.S. Presidential Scholars in the state of Kentucky.

“I got an email and I was not expecting it on May 10th. I thought it was gonna come way later. When I opened my email, I saw ‘Congratulations, 2023 Presidential Scholar.’ and I immediately started jumping up and down and crying and hugged my mom and it was a great experience,” Beatriz Oliveira Antunes says.

Beatriz was nominated alongside her chemistry teacher, Amar Patel. She was one of four students from South Warren to be nominated and the only one to even be a semifinalist.

“I think it’s a great honor. Coming from Brazil, I had no idea of all the opportunities I would have here and it was definitely the best way to end my senior year,” Beatriz says.

Her mother was with her when she found out and was incredibly excited.

“We opened the email together. My husband and me are really proud about her because she works really hard,” Gisele Garcia says.

As for her future?

“I’m going to Vanderbilt University with the Cornelius Vanderbilt Scholarship in the fall, and it was my dream school and I’m gonna major in Biochemistry and Spanish,” Beatriz says.