AUBURN — Edward Little High School has announced that Niyati Desai has been chosen the Maine Principal’s Association Student of the Year for the class of 2012. The award is made annually to honor the most outstanding student of the senior class in each of the Maine high schools. She is the daughter of Vinay and Rajeshri Desai.

Desai has taken the most rigorous academic course load possible during her years at ELHS. As a member of the Kick Off Mentor Council, she has shown outstanding leadership for the school community as she helped organize and deliver a mentor program for ninth graders.

Desai was also honored by the LA Exchange Club as the student of the month for her outstanding service to her community and to her school. She has volunteered at St. Mary’s Regional Medical Center, d’Youvile Pavilion and the Auburn Public Library.

She has also served as an officer for her class and has received numerous academic awards, including the Bausch and Lomb Honorary Science Award, the Rensselaer Medal for Outstanding Academic Achievement in math and science, the Dennis Sweetser Science Award and was selected by NASA as one of the Women in STEM Aerospace Scholars.

After graduation, Desai will study engineering and business management and will make her college selection in the next few weeks. She has applied to 11 colleges, including MIT, UPenn, Stanford, WPI, Harvard and Duke.

Desai and Assistant Principal Leslie Morrill will attend the MPA Honors Luncheon on Saturday, April 7, in Bangor.