2017 STAR student, teacher awards named Tuesday

Thirteen students and their instructors will vie for one of Bibb County’s top honors Tuesday night.

The county’s 2017 STAR student and teacher will be announced during a banquet at Middle Georgia State University from 6-8 p.m. The event is sponsored by the Greater Macon Chamber of Conference and the Professional Association of Georgia Educators.

The Student Teacher Achievement Recognition program was created by PAGE in collaboration with the Georgia Chamber of Conference and the Georgia Department of Education. It recognizes high school seniors across the state who have the highest SAT scores and grade-point averages in the top 10 percent, or the top 10 students of their graduating class.

Each nominated student chooses a teacher who has made a difference in his or her education. Students and teachers selected at their high schools move on to the county level, and those winners go on to the regional event and can advance to the state.

Since the STAR program started 59 years ago, almost 26,000 students and teachers have been honored.

Bibb County’s 2017 nominated students and teachers are:

▪  Student Sarah Baldree and teacher Joshua McCorkle, Central High School;

▪  Caleb Nelson and Savannah Walker, Central Fellowship Christian Academy;

▪  Calista Watson and Lewis Watson, Covenant Academy;

▪  Katlyn Smaha and Rennie Atkinson, First Presbyterian Day School;

▪  Jenny Lee and Melinda Powell, Howard High;

▪  Lydia Good and Mark McMahon, Mount de Sales Academy;

▪  Leyla Slappy and Robert Winborne, Northeast High;

▪  Anjali Patel and Hema Keerthi, Rutland High;

▪  Jeremy Collins and Rachid Chafyaay, Southwest Magnet High School and Law Academy;

▪  Tarab Ajjan and Luke Harrington, Stratford Academy;

▪  Carolina Dunn and Carolyn Smothers, Tattnall Square Academy;

▪  Jacob Mulli and Jan Avila, Westside High;

▪  Ethan Harpe and Ashley Bentley, Windsor Academy.

This story was originally published February 20, 2017 at 3:54 PM with the headline "2017 STAR student, teacher awards named Tuesday."