2009 Presidential Scholar Student of the Week

ST. AUGUSTINE, FL -- Only three Academic Presidential Scholars were picked in the state of Florida. One of them attends school at St. Joseph Catholic School in St. Augustine and he's our Student of the Week.

He's led a group on a 12 day 83 mile hike through New Mexico and built handicapped assessible picnic tables for a local elementary school..

And he's been on two missions to Jamaica helping orphaned and sick children.

"All these kids here have disabilities or problems that their parents can't take care of them or provide for them," says Andrew Carmedelle.

He's done all this while keeping straight A's at school.

Carmedelle scored exceptional high on his SAT's and that got him nominated to be a Presidedential Scholar..

Carmedelle says, "I've always lovd math and science and engineering. It also combines something I really love which is problem solving."

But it was all this work outside the classroom that helped him get selected as a 2009 Presidential Scholar.

"I've been here for ten years and I don't recall us ever having a Presidential Scholar at St. Joe," says Theology Teacher Bryan Ott.

Carmadelle's teachers at St. Joseph Catholic School were impressed he was selected but not surprised.

"He's obviously extremely intellegent. He's a National Merit Scholar and has been offered in excess of a million dollars in scholarship money from a varity of different universities," says Ott.

Carmedelle is looking forward to meeting President Obama in June and being part of an elite group of high school seniors.

"it's almost like a recognition the different decisions i've made in my life so far are going the right path and the right trail... this is a sign I'm doing the right thing," says Carmedelle.

Carmedelle is the valedictorian of his class. After gradution he plans to attend college at the Olin College of Engineering in Massachusetts.

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