School officials, families and community leaders gathered at the Douglasville Conference Center on Monday, February 12, as the Douglas County Rotary Club honored STAR students and teachers for their exceptional efforts.
The Professional Association of Georgia Educators (PAGE) Student Teacher Achievement Recognition (STAR) program recognizes the senior with the highest SAT score at each high school.
Douglas County Rotary President Tekmekia Gilchrist was delighted to be a part of the special occasion.
"The STAR student ceremony is a day that showcases the outstanding, talented students and teachers we have in Douglas County," she said. "We get to witness firsthand the impact this award has on the students and teachers through great speeches and accolades.”
Congratulations to Douglas County High School seniors Anna Liu (Shea St. John - STAR Teacher) and Isabel Yang (Jasmine Gordy - STAR Teacher) for tying as co-winners of the District STAR Student honor. The two will now advance to compete for region-wide honors in the 12 STAR Regions. Region winners compete for state PAGE STAR scholarships and awards.
The other STAR Students and their STAR Teachers are:
Alexander High School
Madison Thomas (Jeffery Davison)
Chapel Hill High School
Mazzy Beyer (Claire Phillips)
Rajah Broadus (Mikki Lucas)
Harvester Christian
Riley Laird (Carla Read)
Lithia Springs High School
Roshan Patel (Stephanie Carr)
New Manchester High School
Tacari Fears (Andrew Mulkey)
During the honors ceremony, students shared inspirational stories about why their teachers meant so much to them.
“Mrs. Carr is like my second mother at the school,” said Lithia Springs High STAR student Roshan Patel. He went on to convey his gratitude and sincere appreciation for the impact she has had on his life.
Carr was Patel’s AP teacher for U.S. and World History. It was evident their bond was deeply rooted as Carr passionately spoke about Patel’s kindness and his accomplishments both as a student and person. The Lithia Lion plans to attend Georgia State University and major in Biology and Orthopedic Surgery.
Overall, to secure the STAR nomination, high school seniors must achieve the highest score on any single test date of the SAT taken through the November test date of their senior year. Additionally, they must rank within their class’s top 10 percent or top 10 students based on grade point average.
Since its inception in 1958, the STAR Student Program has honored an overall 29,500 high school seniors.
“The Douglas County Rotary Chapter looks forward to hosting the inspiring event every year,” expressed Gilchrist.