Two local students may have the chance to meet President Obama.

Raj Bhuptani and Pardha Ponugoti attend Terre Haute South.

They are two of 12 seniors in the state selected as semi-finalists for the Presidential Scholars program. If selected, the students will be honored in Washington D.C. in a ceremony sponsored by the White House.

Raj says he is very proud of the accomplishment. "It means a lot for the state of education in this country and the fact that people care and recognize academic endeavors. That's what's important for the future."

Pardha says he is also proud and hopes to be chosen as a finalist. "I think Andrew Chi won from south a few years ago and I saw the picture of him with President Bush plenty of times and I was thinking it'd be great to have one of those pictures with me and President Obama."

The students will find out if they are finalists next week.

Raj is planning on going to Harvard to study economics. Pardha will attend Boston University and plans to be a physician.