Meet the Newest Class of Eugene McDermott Scholars

Acharya was president of her school's Student Council and its HOSA-Future Health Professionals chapter. Within these organizations, she inaugurated the World Culture Fair, a Winter Holiday Festival and several hygiene product and blood donation drives. Outside of school, Acharya served as a youth leader for Ekam USA, supporting health care access for underserved areas, and developed an autism awareness advocates program. She also earned the international top score for HOSA's 2022 Healthcare Issues Exam, a gold President's Volunteer Service Award and an internship with the STARS program at UT Southwestern Medical Center. She enjoys art, martial arts and playing electric guitar.

Beaman earned both a high school diploma from a homeschool co-op and an associate's degree in interdisciplinary studies. She served as a science lab assistant and tutor, helping to foster a love for learning among her peers, and she advocates for understanding and accommodating neurodivergence in all its forms. Driven by a passion for parrots, Beaman developed a business dedicated to breeding, raising and training them to combat their mistreatment. She is also an artist of many forms, constantly finding new ways to create things and build on ideas, whether through drawing, writing, singing or dancing.

An AP Scholar with Distinction and a National Merit Scholar, Edgington volunteered at the Allen Public Library and was vice president of the Allen chapter of the Young Men's Service League, which addresses food and housing insecurity in his community. He was a quad drummer in his school's marching band for four years and served as drumline captain as a senior, earning several Division 1 solo ratings and Region Band Chairs through TMEA/University Interscholastic League. Edgington speaks Spanish and was a member of the Spanish National Honor Society. He also worked on the product marketing team for an artificial intelligence-leveraging, education-technology startup.

Ham was an AP Scholar with Distinction, an AP Capstone Diploma recipient and a National Merit Scholar. She held many leadership roles, most notably as president of her school's HOSA chapter, class vice president of Student Council, secretary of the orchestra council and an advanced academic ambassador for her district. Passionate about care for the underserved elderly, she volunteered extensively at Baylor Scott & White, numerous hospices, nursing homes and assisted-living facilities. Ham is a published author in a nationally accredited research journal and a contributor to a project soon to be published by the National Science Foundation.

Kapoor is the founder of the nongovernmental organization Sahayaks, where he led food and clothing donation drives, planted trees and donated compostable bags to street vendors. In 2022, he started a community organization to combat dengue by promoting blood donation drives, street fogging and Ayurvedic medicine. Kapoor participated in Saint Louis University's innovation and entrepreneurship program. He also completed an internship at the Nikola Tesla Young Researchers Development Program on renewable energy's role in reducing Germany's carbon footprint. He volunteered with Earth5R, where he participated in activities and surveys aimed at promoting a sustainable future, and as a young champion for refugees at UNHCR, a UN refugee agency. He is fluent in Hindi.

An AP Capstone Diploma recipient and AP Scholar with Distinction, Kumarakururaj graduated magna cum laude. He placed second in an international HOSA competition, co-founding a Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration-recognized awareness campaign that served local communities. As a certified nurse assistant, medical assistant and patient care technician, he volunteered at area hospitals. Kumarakururaj developed carbon-reducing panels for the Samsung Solve for Tomorrow competition, earning state finalist and scholarship prizes for his school. Fluent in Tamil, he has won national Tamil literature competitions and served as an assistant Tamil teacher, helping students earn foreign language credit.

An AP Scholar with Distinction, Manicka graduated magna cum laude with an AP Capstone Diploma. A co-founder of the Hands For Aid nonprofit, he improved the safety of his community by installing first-aid kits in local parks. As a member of his school's HOSA chapter, Manicka became an International Leadership Conference competition finalist. He also volunteered with his local religious organization to help the elderly and neurodivergent. Manicka tutored children in his community to enhance their math, science and SAT skills. His preprofessional preparation includes certification in emergency medicine and shadowing physicians in neurology. Manicka is proficient in English, Spanish and Saurashtra.

Movva, who graduated magna cum laude, served as vice president of her school's Girls Who Code chapter and was a Business Professionals of America competitor. Her interests lie at the intersection of computer science and finance. She was involved with Scientella, French Club and Honor Society, and the National Honor Society. Movva focused on data science and lung cancer research through the Frisco school district's Independent Study and Mentorship Program. She volunteered at the Frisco Public Library, Feed My Starving Children and her local temple where she advocated for City Council elections and helped host various South Asian functions. A Guinness World Record recipient for the longest Hindu text recitation from memory (all 701 verses of the Bhagavad Gita chanted over four hours) and a Frisco Education Foundation scholarship recipient, she speaks English, Telugu and some French.

A National Merit Commended Student and an AP Scholar with Distinction, Ngan was president of his school's chapters of the National Honor Society, Mu Alpha Theta and the Science National Honor Society. Ngan, who was captain of the swim team, is an avid pianist and cellist. As principal cellist of the chamber orchestra, he spearheaded a mentorship program that assisted beginner musicians in the community. Ngan co-founded the Pacific Rose Ensemble and represents Portland's classical radio station KQAC-FM as a young artist ambassador, creating content for the International Children's Arts Network. Ngan is fluent in Cantonese and functional in Mandarin.

An AP Scholar with Distinction, Nguyen was valedictorian of her class and holds her school's record for the highest weighted GPA. She served as lieutenant governor of Division 39 South in the Texas-Oklahoma Key Club, supporting and advising 11 clubs, and was recognized as a 2023-2024 Top Five Lieutenant Governor. As the secretary of her school's Girl Up chapter, she helped organize the first menstrual products drive in her school district. Additionally, she was the team captain and a regional qualifier for her school's UIL literary criticism team. She is fluent in Vietnamese and is learning American Sign Language.

An AP Scholar, Nwosu received the College Board African American and Small Town Rural Scholar Awards. She was a member of the National Honor Society and Mu Alpha Theta, served as a Student Council officer and co-founded Girls Who Code. She has been a student volunteer at her church for six years and serves as a volunteer barista there. She was a lead coach for Wells Elementary's basketball league and was a varsity starter for her high school's basketball team for three years. Nwosu partnered with The Giving Gown Foundation, which put together over 200 bags of feminine products for women in the Houston area.

Pham graduated magna cum laude, excelling as a community leader and health equity advocate. She founded and led her school's Key Club, later assuming roles such as lieutenant governor for the Texas-Oklahoma Key Club. Pham served as president of her school's HOSA organization, achieving international recognition twice and championing health care accessibility. Beyond school, she interned with Project CURE and the American Red Cross and worked at Houston Methodist as a certified clinical medical assistant, supporting health care initiatives in underserved communities. Pham volunteers as a tutor to Vietnamese youth in Houston and leads her church's youth group.

In high school, Runfola became deeply involved in student government. In addition to giving testimony advocating for policy change on the state and county level, he helped organize and host an overnight leadership development conference for student leaders across the state. Runfola also worked with the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, helping his community raise over $50,000 and later mentoring other teams in Maryland. He was captain of his tennis team where he mentored younger players and reached the Maryland Public Secondary Schools Athletic Association 2024 Tennis State Championship in boys singles.

Taylor was a National Merit Commended Student and AP Scholar with Distinction as well as a member of the National Honor Society and the International Robotics Honor Society. She served as the flute section leader in the school band, and she was team captain of a VEX Robotics World Championship award-winning team. Through robotics, Taylor led middle school mentorship programs, primarily teaching students how to keep an engineering notebook. She volunteered with her school's Music Medicine Club to perform music at nursing homes and participated in Bible Drill and Speakers through her church, winning a 2022 national contest.

Tran graduated summa cum laude and, as president of the Science National Honor Society chapter, she founded Full STEAM Ahead, an outreach program for low-income elementary schools. Tran coordinated the Young Biologist Program, providing high school students with hands-on lab experience under postdoctoral researchers. She was named an outstanding national scholar by the Science National Honor Society, received a Scholastic Gold Key award in 2D Art, and was a winner of the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo art competition. As vice president of the Kerr PALs peer-tutoring organization, Tran collaborated with the Chick-fil-A Leader Academy to donate more than 2,000 picture books to students in the Alief Independent School District.

An International Baccalaureate Diploma graduate and AP Scholar with Honor, Yan was president of his school's Asian Student Society. Yan served as one of two youth representatives on the board of directors of YouthRoots, supporting the nonprofit's student-led philanthropic curriculum across the Mountain West. He also served as treasurer of the senior youth advisory board of the nonprofit A Precious Child, leading community fundraisers and assisting families in need. Yan also represented the United States abroad through the Department of State's National Security Language Initiative for Youth, living with a host family and studying Mandarin at Shih Chien University in Taiwan.