Lambert Graduate Named One of Nation’s 20 Presidential Scholars in the Arts

Yun Xin Lin, a ballet dancer and 2026 Lambert High School graduate from Suwanee, has been named a U.S. Presidential Scholar in the Arts, one of just 20 students nationwide selected for the distinction.

Lin is one of three Georgia graduates recognized in the 2026 Presidential Scholars class. The Georgia Department of Education announced the state’s honorees on November 3.

The national honor follows earlier recognition for her dancing. YoungArts named Lin a 2026 winner with distinction in ballet. She also won the silver medal in the female pre-professional division at the 2023 World Ballet Competition in Orlando, representing MorningStar Dance Academy. That division was for dancers ages 14 and 15.

Her dance experience has included teaching younger students. A 2025 scholarship profile from the U.S.-China Next Generation Education Foundation credited Lin with more than 150 hours mentoring young dancers as a co-president of MorningStar’s Junior Staff Club. The foundation also credited her with helping lead fundraising efforts that raised more than $6,500 for causes including disaster relief and Clark’s Christmas Kids.

At Lambert, Lin also worked on a student science project. She was one of 10 co-authors of a 2024 design brief published in BioTreks, exploring a proposed use of engineered microbial communities to address gut health and mental well-being.

Georgia’s other 2026 Presidential Scholars are Samanyu Krishna Ganesh of The Westminster Schools and Ananya Tara Rajagopalan of Wheeler High School. Nationally, 161 scholars were recognized across academic, arts, and career and technical education categories, from a pool of more than 6,700 qualified candidates.

The U.S. Presidential Scholars Program began in 1964 and added recognition for the visual, creative and performing arts in 1979. Selection considers artistic achievement alongside academic work, essays, school recommendations, leadership and community service.