More than 20 high school seniors from the Upper Valley are in the running to represent their home states in the nationwide competition for slots in the U.S. Presidential Scholars program.

A panel of educators will narrow the field of 4,500 nominees to 600 semifinalists nationwide in April, and the 161 Presidential Scholars will be chosen in May.

Area students among the 84 New Hampshire candidates for the Presidential Scholar semifinals are, by hometown:

Lebanon — William J. Tanski IV.

Hanover — Emily Bregou, Rosa McCann and Iroha Shirai (all Hanover High School) and Jacob Slaughter (Thetford Academy).

Orford — Kenneth Beaupre (Rivendell Academy).

Meriden — Haoxiang Hou (Kimball Union Academy).

Claremont — Kaitlyn Chambers and Karsten Kleyensteuber (Stevens High School).

Newport — Victoria Burroughs, Benjamin Jachim-Gallagher (Newport Middle High School).

Lempster — Elizabeth Tremblay (Newport Middle High School).

The Vermont Agency of Education is scheduled to honor the state’s 82 nominees today, in a ceremony at the Statehouse in Montpelier. Upper Valley nominees:

Bradford — Zoe Barton (Oxbow High School).

Tunbridge — Wright Frost (Hanover High School).

Woodstock — Morgan Biele and Oliver Wilson (Woodstock Union High School).

Norwich — William Bender, Caleb Benjamin, Lauren Gemery, Bryn Kable and Emma Tysinger (Hanover High School).

Presidential Scholar candidates are nominated for combining academic and artistic excellence with leadership at school and in the community.

To learn more about the Presidential Scholars program for 2020, visit www2.ed.gov/programs/psp/index.html.

Educator Excellence

The Lake Sunapee Region Chamber of Commerce recently named Kearsarge Regional School District teacher Nicole Densmore as its community member of the year, for her contributions to music education in the schools and to musical enjoyment throughout the area.

In addition to teaching music at the regional elementary school in New London and at Sutton (N.H.) Central School, Densmore brings performing artists into the schools, directs the UpBeat Children’s Choir at New London’s St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church and leads the committee that organizes Friday-night concerts each summer at the Haddad Bandstand in New London.

Collegiate Recognition

Emerson College in Boston recently named Lebanon resident Manna Parker-Lillibridge, Norwich resident Hollis Westling and Grantham resident Sarah Sentman to its dean’s list for the fall 2018 semester.

■ Orford resident Mikayla DeBois was named to the dean’s list at Assumption College, for the fall 2018 semester at the Worcester, Mass., school.

■Nichols College in Dedham, Mass., recently named Sharon resident Jocelyn Johnson and Newport’s Christopher Lawrence to its dean’s list for the fall 2018 semester. Johnson earned high honors, for maintaining a grade-point average between 3.6 and 4.0.

David Corriveau can be reached at dcorriveau@vnews.com and at 603-727-3304. Send education news to schoolnotes@vnews.com.