Sascha Pakravan ’22 Named U.S. Presidential Scholar

This spring, Sascha Pakravan ’22 was named a 2022 Presidential Scholar. He is among 161 high school seniors across the country chosen from a pool of over 4,500 candidates.

Pakravan founded and runs Words4, a nonprofit which aims to bolster literacy rates in Hawai‘i and ensure educational equity across the socioeconomic spectrum. Pakravan created nearly 80 professional reading videos which have garnered over 100,000 views on YouTube, and developed a peer reading program for younger students. His efforts have reached over 1,000 students at six schools and institutions.

For his work in the community, he has received the President’s Volunteer Service Award, the Prudential Spirit of Community Award as top youth volunteer in Hawai‘i, the Gloria Barron Foundation Young Heroes national award, a U.S. Senate commendation from Senator Brian Schatz ’90 and a Coca-Cola Scholar award, among other awards.

Pakravan is also a top-ranked captain of the Punahou Speech and Debate Team and was a summer intern for the Commerce and Economic Development Division of the Department of the Attorney General.

As a U.S. Presidential Scholar, Pakravan selected Academy social studies faculty member Hermie Chaney as his most influential teacher, who will also be recognized. “She understands who I am as a person and as a student – my optimism, my passion, my diligence and my care for detail. She helped me push myself to my intellectual limits and question my own opinions, in turn, helping me become a more aware citizen and scholar,” Pakravan said.