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May 11, 2009
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Vandebilt Catholic High School valedictorian Charles F. Gyer was selected as a 2009 Presidential Scholar recipient last week.
The honor is given to high school seniors that have demonstrated exceptional academic achievement, artistic excellence, leadership, citizenship and service at school and in the community.
“This is certainly humbling,” he said. “It’s something I did not expect and I’m very happy about it.”
Gyer is one of 141 recipients of the award. They will enjoy a one-week expense paid trip to Washington, D.C., from June 20-24 to meet with government officials, educators, authors, musicians, scientists and other accomplished people.
To commemorate their achievement, the scholars are awarded the Presidential Scholars medallion at a ceremony sponsored by the White House. President Barack Obama is scheduled to be the presenter this year.
“I don’t even know how that might feel – to meet the president of the United States, which is a great honor indeed. I’m quite excited about that,” Gyer said. “It’s going to be a surreal experience – to shake hands with someone who is so well known and well renowned as the leader of the free world.”
At Vandebilt Catholic, Gyer served as student council president, yearbook editor, chess club president and quiz bowl team captain. He got a perfect 36 when he took the ACT in December 2007.
After Hurricane Katrina in 2005, Gyer began researching cost effective natural resources and land use strategies. He compiled his work on his Web site www.energyandgeopolitics.com.
“Environmentalism and coastal erosion are close to my heart because I love this state so much,” he said. “Academically, I’ve been interested in that. I’ve done policy research into that and that’s what I want to do in college.”
Gyer will be attending Yale University this fall to study energy policy.
If possible, he would love the chance to talk energy policy with the commander in chief.
“That would be a dream come true,” Gyer said. “He’s got a pretty important job, so I don’t know if he’ll have time. But if he sticks around to speak with the presidential scholars, I will certainly try to ask him an energy policy question.”
Gyer was also a co-recipient of the Terrebonne Parish Teenager of the Year Award in January given by the American Legion.
The last Tri-parish student to receive the prestigious Presidential Scholar honor was 1986 Vandebilt Catholic graduate Andrea LeBoeuf.
Gyer is the son of David and Connie Gyer of Houma.
Charles F. Gyer 2009 Presidential Scholar
