ANDOVER — Superintendent John Lavoie is pleased to share that Greater Lawrence Tech senior Saviel Ortiz was selected this April as a Career and Technical Education Presidential Scholar semifinalist.
Each year, the U.S. Presidential Scholars Program recognizes a maximum of 161 of the country’s most exceptional students. The program was expanded to include and celebrate the accomplishments of students studying career and technical education in 2015.
Ortiz was selected as one of five state finalists by Education Commissioner Jeff Riley in December, and was officially named a national semifinalist this April. He is among 620 semifinalists selected from a pool of approximately 5,600 candidates nationwide for the honor, and 2020 Presidential Scholars will be announced later this school year.
“Saviel is an incredibly hard working student, and has demonstrated both a love of learning and a natural inclination toward leadership,” Superintendent Lavoie said. “To be named a semifinalist is a wonderful honor, and we’re thrilled to see him recognized this way.”
Ortiz is currently deciding between attending UMass Lowell or UMass Boston in the fall to study business management with a concentration in finance. He currently studies Business Technology at Greater Lawrence Tech. He took part in a co-op as a Bank Specialist at Reading Cooperative Bank this school year, and also served as Vice President of both the school’s National Honor Society and Class of 2020. Ortiz additionally is a GLTS swim team captain, member of the school’s “Interact” community service club and a Youth Ambassador at Top Notch Scholars.
In 2017, Ortiz’s brother, Alkenly Ortiz, was also named a Presidential Scholar semi-finalist.
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