South Dakota Students Named U.S. Presidential Scholars
Emma Plamp of Mitchell and Ronan Maher of Sioux Falls were among the scholars named by the South Dakota Department of Education.
Updated on Nov. 4, 2026 in Secondary Education
Emma Plamp of Mitchell and Ronan Maher of Sioux Falls were named U.S. Presidential Scholars, an honor the South Dakota Department of Education announced. Each scholar receives an engraved medallion.
Why it matters
The recognition highlights academic and leadership achievement among South Dakota high school students. It also gives state residents a view of the students representing the state in the national program.
Plamp held more than eight leadership roles and took part in more than 12 activities, receiving 15 awards during high school. The Davis-Bancroft Scholar program she joined is a four-week international physics and engineering research experience with the Sanford Underground Research Facility.
The players
South Dakota Department of Education
The state agency responsible for public education in South Dakota, which announced the scholars' selection.
Emma Plamp
A Mitchell student named a U.S. Presidential Scholar who plans to study electrical and nuclear engineering at South Dakota State University.
Ronan Maher
A Sioux Falls student named a U.S. Presidential Scholar who founded the Financial Freedom Initiative and is studying economics and Chinese at Dartmouth College.
The details
Plamp took part in several school bands, Pen Pals and Quiz Bowl, and was selected as a Davis-Bancroft Scholar. Maher was active in several organizations, including the Young Investors Society, and rowed for the U.S. Rowing National Team at several World Championships.
Timeline
The South Dakota Department of Education announced the honor in November 2026.
Season Trajectory
The U.S. Presidential Scholars Program, established to honor outstanding graduating seniors nationwide, places South Dakota's two honorees within a national pool of recognized students. Their selection extends the program's pattern of recognizing academic and leadership excellence across all states.
Students interested in the U.S. Presidential Scholars Program can review eligibility and application details on the South Dakota Department of Education website. Families planning for college may find the program's recognition useful when comparing scholarship and academic opportunities.
The takeaway
Recognition programs like this one can help families and students identify the academic and leadership activities that stand out to selection committees. Students exploring similar honors can start by documenting their activities and awards early in high school.
Further reading
Explore more on Secondary Education to see how students across the state are recognized for academic achievement.
More information
Learn about eligibility and application details on the U.S. Presidential Scholars program page.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Dakotanewsnow.
