GMC News

STAR students, teachers distinguished Thursday 02/26/2014 11:00 AM The Milledgeville-Baldwin County Chamber of Commerce will honor three local high school seniors Thursday as part of the organization’s annual STAR student and teacher awards luncheon. STAR students Erin Elizabeth Harpe of Baldwin High School, Kevin Myers of Georgia Military College Prep and Julie Elizabeth Hinson of John Milledge Academy will each receive a plaque and cash scholarship. STAR teachers, John Stone (BHS), Jessica Jones (JMA) and Charles Myers (GMC) will also be recognized. “The STAR program honors Georgia’s outstanding high school seniors and the teachers who have been most instrumental in their academic development. The main purpose of the STAR program is to unite educators with the business and civic community to honor academic excellence,” Chamber CEO April Bragg said. “Students are selected based on SAT test scores and grade point average.” This year’s STAR program will once again be a joint meeting of the Milledgeville Rotary and Kiwanis clubs held at noon at the Milledgeville Country Club. The 2014 systemwide STAR student for Baldwin County will be awarded with a plaque and a $1,000 scholarship in recognition of the achievement. BHS senior Harpe has maintained a 4.0 throughout her high school career, keeping her on the honor roll. She is a member of the Drama Club, Key Club, Beta Club, Baldwin Marching Pride, yearbook staff, various school productions and Magnolia State Bank Junior Board of Directors. She has also participated in Youth Leadership Baldwin and the Governor’s Honors Program as a mathematics alternate. Harpe plans to earn a Ph.D. in psychology at either the University of Alabama, Harvard, Princeton or Dartmouth. She hopes to become a psychologist or psychiatrist in the military. GMC senior Myers has maintained a 4.0 grade point average throughout his high school years and is a member of the Mu Alpha Theta Math Honor Society and Senior Beta Club/National Honor Society. He took part in the Governor’s Honors Program last summer. Myers plans to major in biomedical engineering at the Georgia Institute of Technology, where he has already been accepted. After retirement, he hopes to become a professor of mathematics at a prestigious university. JMA senior Hinson has also maintained a 4.0 grade point average throughout high school and is a member of the Beta Club, Anchor Club and the National Honor Society. She participated in the 2013 Distinguished Young Women program, and was named the Distinguished Young Woman of Milledgeville. Hinson has also participated in Youth Leadership Baldwin and the Milledgeville Photography Group, and has played varsity soccer for two years. She is very active in her youth group at Northridge Christian Church and sings in the youth band. She plans to major in interior design while attending the University of Georgia. The STAR program is a statewide program coordinated by the PAGE Foundation that awards high school seniors that have the highest SAT score and are ranked in the top 10 percent or top 10 members of their class. The Georgia Chamber of Commerce initially launched a program. For the past 55 years, more than 23,500 STAR students and teachers have been recognized for their academic and professional accomplishments. High school STAR students compete for system titles; and system STAR students in turn compete for region honors in the 12 STAR regions. Region winners and their STAR teachers are invited to Atlanta to compete for the state STAR scholarships and awards.