School News

Kennesaw State Student Awarded Scholarship

The U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Nuclear Energy has awarded Kennesaw State University student Evan Pudlo of Kennesaw a scholarship for the upcoming school year through its University Nuclear Leadership Program.

The program aims to invest in the next generation of nuclear scientists and engineers, and the scholarship allows students to earn a minor in nuclear engineering, making them more competitive for positions in an industry where there is a need for future leaders. The funds can be used toward tuition, books and fees for the 2022-23 academic year.

Pudlo, who is enrolled in the Southern Polytechnic College of Engineering and Engineering Technology, said several professors have been instrumental in opening his eyes to opportunities in the nuclear engineering field.

“I am grateful for this scholarship, which will allow me to focus on my studies without the added pressure of working during the upcoming school year,” he said.

Mary Lusk, left, and Ray Harvin ride in Mount Paran Christian School’s senior parade before graduation.

Mount Paran Honors 101 Graduates

Mount Paran Christian School (MPCS) recently graduated 101 seniors, including valedictorian Steven Baker and salutatorian Sarah McCune, at Turner Chapel AME Church. From the Class of 2022, 49 graduates chose to attend college in Georgia, and 51 students have chosen out-of-state schools.

Before their graduation ceremony, the seniors were honored with the third annual senior parade — a newer tradition born out of the COVID-19 pandemic — in addition to senior chapel and honors night. Seniors and their families decorated their cars with balloons, streamers, posters and flags representing their colleges and paraded through the MPCS campus and neighboring subdivision, The Overlook, while teachers, staff, underclassmen and neighbors stationed along the route cheered them on.

Palmer Middle School Principal Retires

Lisa Jackson, principal at Palmer Middle School in Kennesaw for seven years, retired June 30 after 29 years as an educator — eight years as a middle school teacher and 21 years as an administrator. Before moving to Palmer, she served as principal at Pine Mountain Middle School in Kennesaw.

Palmer, who lives in Marietta with her husband, received a great send-off from well-wishers. “As I was one of four [Palmer employees] retiring this year, we had a fun celebration at Miller Ale House, where lots of former staff and families came to celebrate,” she said. “We then had an end-of-theyear celebration luncheon at school. Eco Tech and Miller Ale sponsored the lunch for us.”

As a retiree, Palmer will be traveling, spending time with her family and volunteering in the community. She also is a member of the Kennesaw Business Association and serves as co-chair of the education committee.

Cobb Schools Announces Valedictorians, Salutatorians

The seven valedictorians and salutatorians from Harrison, Kennesaw Mountain and North Cobb high schools boasted GPAs above 4.7.

At Harrison, Haley Armor was named valedictorian, with a GPA of 4.727, and salutatorian Jasmin Salazar wasn’t far behind with a 4.714 GPA. Armor will be attending the Georgia Institute of Technology, where she will be studying environmental engineering, and Salazar plans to attend Emory University to major in pre-med/human health.

Kennesaw Mountain had two valedictorians. Paige Woodham and Jessica Chu tied for the honor of top scholar with GPAs of 4.765, and the salutatorian was Soumit Guntupalli, who had a GPA of 4.746. All three graduates plan to attend Georgia Tech, where Woodham will major in chemical and biomedical engineering, Chu will major in industrial engineering, and Guntupalli will major in biochemistry.

North Cobb High’s valedictorian was Natalie Joseph, with a GPA of 4.781. The salutatorian was William Green, who had a 4.774 GPA. Both will attend Georgia Tech, with Joseph majoring in computer science and Green majoring in business.

Overall, Cobb’s valedictorians had an average GPA of about 4.7, and the salutatorians were only a few tenths of a point behind them. Three valedictorians and two salutatorians from Cobb high schools posted GPAs higher than 4.8, and 12 valedictorians and 11 salutatorians earned GPAs above 4.7.

About 15 valedictorians and salutatorians are planning to attend Georgia Tech, and the rest are attending such prestigious schools as Princeton University, Emory University, the University of Georgia, the California Institute of Technology and Boston University. They plan to study majors ranging from environmental engineering, industrial engineering and aerospace engineering to pre-medicine, biology, neuroscience and international business.

Haley Armor Paige Woodham

Soumit Guntupalli Jasmin Salazar

Jessica Chu

Natalie Joseph