2014 State PAGE STAR

Foundation News 2014 State PAGE STAR

Student and Teacher

Anastasia (Audy) Mulia, a senior at Alpharetta High School in Fulton County, is the 2014 State PAGE STAR Student. She named Thomas Wellnitz, her 10th-grade chemistry teacher at Alpharetta High, as her State PAGE STAR Teacher. William Connor Roberts, a senior at Stephens County High School, is the State PAGE STAR Student Runner-up and chose Tamera Cash, his 12th-grade calculus teacher, as his STAR Teacher.

The announcement came at the State PAGE (Professional Association of Georgia Educators) STAR Banquet on April 22 at the Crowne Plaza Ravinia in Atlanta. Eighteen STAR Student Region winners were finalists in the culminating event of the STAR (Student Teacher Achievement Recognition) program, which began earlier this year with the naming of 520 local STAR Students from each of the participating public and independent schools throughout Georgia. This year’s class of STAR Students and STAR Teachers is the largest honored in the program’s history. Nine of this year’s finalists scored 2400 on one administration of the SAT, and all are in the top 10 percent or top 10 of their class.

The STAR program, now in its 56th year, is sponsored by the PAGE Foundation, Georgia Chamber of Commerce and Georgia Department of Education, with the PAGE Foundation having primary responsibility for the program since 1994. Other sponsors include AT&T Georgia, Frances Wood Wilson Foundation Inc., PAGE, The Coca-Cola Company and The Mozelle Christian Endowment. Since its inception, the STAR program has honored more than 24,000 students and their teachers for academic excellence.

“The PAGE Foundation is proud to work with its partners, local and regional sponsors and respected corporations and foundations to continue the STAR tradition,” says PAGE Foundation President John Varner. “We commend the students and teachers STAR honors and wish them continued success.”

2014 State PAGE STAR Student Anastasia Mulia and State PAGE STAR Teacher Thomas Wellnitz

Mulia, an Alpharetta resident and daughter of Hudy and Augustine Mulia, plans to attend Stanford University in California after graduation. As this year’s State PAGE STAR Student, she was honored with a $5,000 scholarship from AT&T Georgia, which was presented by AT&T Director of External Affairs Dennis Boyden. The State PAGE STAR Teacher, Wellnitz of Decatur, received a $2,500 cash award from the Frances Wood Wilson Foundation Inc., which was presented by foundation President Blitch Ann Bird. Roberts, the State STAR Student Runnerup, received a $1,000 scholarship from the PAGE Foundation, which was presented by PAGE Foundation Chair and VALIC Southeast Region Vice President Allen Thomas. He also received a $1,000 scholarship from The Coca-Cola Company, which was presented by J. Mark Davis, president of The Coca-Cola Scholars Foundation. Roberts is the son of Lynn and Barry Roberts and lives in Toccoa. Upon graduation, he plans to attend Harvard University in Massachusetts. PAGE Executive Director Dr. Allene Magill presented Cash, the State STAR Teacher Runner-up who is also from Toccoa, with the $500 Mozelle Christian Endowment Award. Georgia Chamber Board Member Michael Brown also presented Cash with a $500 award from the Georgia Chamber of Commerce.

The PAGE Foundation, PAGE and The Coca-Cola Company sponsored the State PAGE STAR Banquet. Additionally, The Coca-Cola Company sponsored an evening reception and earlier in the day presented each of the 18 finalists with a

$100 cash award. Each finalist and his or her teacher also received a hand-blown glass star by Lillie Glassblowers from the PAGE Foundation, which was presented by Magill and Thomas. Local STAR Students and STAR Teachers attending the banquet received a memento of the evening. At their region events, Region STAR Students received a $500 cash scholarship from the PAGE Foundation and Region STAR Teachers a $200 award from the Georgia Chamber of Commerce.

To view a video report of the State PAGE STAR Banquet, visit pagefoundation.org and click on the video link under the heading “PAGE State STAR Student and Teacher Named,” or scan this QR code. n

2014 State PAGE STAR Student Anastasia Mulia (third from left) and her STAR Teacher Thomas Wellnitz are shown following their awards presentation. Award presenters include (l-r) PAGE Foundation Chair and VALIC Southeast Region Vice President Allen Thomas, AT&T Director of External Affairs Dennis Boyden, PAGE Executive Director Dr. Allene Magill, Frances Wood Wilson Foundation Inc. President Blitch Ann Bird and PAGE Foundation President John Varner.

State PAGE STAR Student Runner-up William Connor Roberts and his STAR Teacher Tamera Cash (center) are joined by award presenters (l-r) President of The CocaCola Scholars Foundation J. Mark Davis, PAGE Foundation Chair Allen Thomas, PAGE President Dr. Emily Felton, PAGE Executive Director Dr. Allene Magill and Georgia Chamber of Commerce Board Member Michael Brown.

Retired WSB-TV reporter Jeff Dore interviews STAR Region Winner Yehong Zhu from East Coweta High School in Newnan.

(l-r) J. Mark Davis, president of The Coca-Cola Scholars Foundation, is joined by STAR Region winners Apoorva Gangavelli and William Jin at The Coca-Cola Reception.

The 2014 Region STAR Students: (front row, l-r) Maya Lynette Grimes, The Westminster Schools, Atlanta; Anastasia Mulia, Alpharetta High, Fulton County; Yelim Youm, Columbus High, Muscogee County; Noor Nejma Amari, North Oconee High, Oconee County; Allison Marie Stauffer, Brookwood School, Thomas County; Apoorva Gangavelli, North Gwinnett High, Gwinnett County; and Naa Adorkor Allotey, Mount de Sales Academy, Bibb County; (middle row, l-r) Alexandra Michelle Smith, The Westminster Schools, Atlanta; Tony Huang, Brunswick High, Glynn County; Yehong Zhu, East Coweta High, Coweta County; Emily Johnson, Savannah Arts Academy, Chatham County; Adriano Omar Iqbal, Druid Hills High, DeKalb County; Andrew Tisinger, Bremen High, Bremen City; and Michael Yu, Parkview High, Gwinnett County; and (back row, l-r) John Collin Summerlin, Tift County High; William Connor Roberts, Stephens County High; Archer H. Kinnane, Henry W. Grady High, Atlanta City; and William Huang Jin, Gwinnett School of Mathematics, Science and Technology, Gwinnett County.

The 2014 Region STAR Teachers: (front row, l-r) Tamera Cash, Stephens County High; Amy Durden, Savannah Arts Academy, Chatham County; Gina Reynolds, Arnold Magnet Academy, Muscogee County; Patricia Caldwell, Gwinnett School of Mathematics, Science and Technology, Gwinnett County; Carol Sheftall, Brookwood School, Thomas County; Debbie Salter, Tift County High; Miriam Ledford-Lyle, North Oconee High, Oconee County; Robin Campbell, Bremen High, Bremen City; Paula Corley, White Oak Elementary, Coweta County; and Debra Morina, Brunswick High, Glynn County; (back row, l-r) Thomas Wellnitz, Alpharetta High, Fulton County; Ron McLachlan, Mount de Sales Academy, Bibb County; Jeff Cramer, Henry W. Grady High, Atlanta City; Freddy Martin and Woodrow Barnes, The Westminster Schools, Atlanta; Paul Johnson, Druid Hills High, DeKalb County; Richard Magner, Parkview High, Gwinnett County; and Kim Wimpey, North Gwinnett High, Gwinnett County.