STARs Shine at 2015

Foundation News STARS Shine at 2015 State PAGE STAR Event

2015 State PAGE STAR Student Carter Lewis Guensler (center) is joined by presenters following the State PAGE STAR Banquet awards ceremony. Pictured (l-r): PAGE Foundation President John E. Varner, PAGE Foundation Chair Howard Morrison, Henry W. Grady High School Principal Timothy Guiney who accepted the State PAGE STAR Teacher award from the Frances Wood Wilson Foundation on behalf of teacher Lee Pope, PAGE Executive Director Dr. Allene Magill and AT&T State President Beth Shiroishi.

Carter Lewis Guensler, a senior at Atlanta Public Schools’ Henry W. Grady High School, is the 2015 State PAGE STAR Student. Guensler named his AP European History teacher, Lee Pope, as his State PAGE STAR Teacher. Ha Hoang Dang, a senior at the Darlington School in Rome, is the Runner-up State PAGE STAR Student. She chose Julia Dodd, her AP chemistry teacher, as her STAR Teacher.

There were 534 local STAR students throughout Georgia this year, the largest number in the program’s 57-year history. More than 300 students, teachers, family members and leaders from business, philanthropy and education celebrated in April at the State PAGE STAR Banquet at the Crowne Plaza Ravinia in Atlanta.

The 27 state finalists were composed of PAGE STAR Student Region Winners. Among them, 14 scored a perfect 2400 on the SAT (in one sitting). Popular fields of planned study for this year’s students include biomedical, engineering, math and computer science. The top school choices are Georgia Tech, Harvard, the University of Georgia and MIT. n

State PAGE STAR Student Carter Guensler is presented with the AT&T Cash Scholarship of $5,000 by AT&T State President Beth Shiroishi.

Runner-up State PAGE STAR Student Ha Hoang Dang (center) is joined by presenters following the awards ceremony at the State PAGE STAR Banquet. Pictured (l-r): PAGE Foundation President John Varner, PAGE President-elect Stephanie Davis Howard, PAGE Foundation Chair Howard Morrison; Runner-up State PAGE STAR Teacher Julia Dodd, PAGE Executive Director Dr. Allene Magill and Georgia Chamber of Commerce Director of Public Policy Jason O’Rouke.

Thank You to PAGE STAR Major Sponsors AT&T Georgia Frances Wood Wilson Foundation Georgia Chamber of Commerce PAGE Foundation Price Gilbert, Jr. Charitable Fund Professional Association of Georgia Educators The Coca-Cola Company The Mozelle Christian Endowment

2015 PAGE STAR Student Region Winners (front row, l-r): Ian Clester, Houston County High; Maggie Tyre, Glynn Academy (Brunswick); Farita Tasmin, Columbus High (Muscogee); Lucy Zheng, Glynn Academy; and Steven Feng, Deerfield-Windsor School (Albany); (second row, top of stairs, l-r): Meredith Jones, Holy Spirit Preparatory School (Atlanta); Alex DiCesare; Statesboro High (Bulloch); Mary Boyd Crosier, The Westminster Schools, (Atlanta); Zoe Li, Bulloch Academy (Statesboro); Ha Hoang Dang, Darlington School (Rome); Kaliq Wang, Centennial High (Fulton); Rachel Todd, Union County High; Justin Lee, Northview High (Fulton); Ryan Chen, Brookwood High (Gwinnett); Kyung Min Shin, Northview High; Eileen Chen, Valdosta High (Valdosta City); Katie Irwin, Greater Atlanta Christian School (Norcross); and Sarah Chapman, Newnan High (Coweta); and (back row, top of stairs, l-r): Henry Burns, Augusta Preparatory Day School; Andrew Haygood, Pickens High (Pickens); Haroon Alam, Walton High (Cobb); Sida Tang, Parkview High (Gwinnett); Sanket Mehta, Walton High; Tomislav Zabcic-Matic, Clarke Central High (Clarke); John Shen, The Westminster Schools; Carter Lewis Guensler, Henry W. Grady High (Atlanta City); and Vikram S. Varadarajan, Duluth High (Gwinnett).

Photo by Lynn Varner

2015 PAGE STAR Teacher Region Winners (back row, l-r): Julia Dodd, Darlington School (Rome); Marie Feazel, Glynn Academy (Brunswick); Ian Altman, Clarke Central High (Clarke); Matthew Reger, Holy Spirit Preparatory School (Atlanta); Tim Hunter, Union County High; Michael Oubre, Pickens High (Pickens); Brad Davis, Centennial High (Fulton); Ross Peters, The Westminster Schools (Atlanta); Chris Michael, Brookwood High (Gwinnett); William Spangler, Deerfield-Windsor School (Albany); Phil Heier, Parkview High (Gwinnett); Bruce Law, Statesboro High (Bulloch); and Luther Richardson, Columbus High (Muscogee); and (front row, l-r): Jill Tucker and Tania Pope, Northview High (Fulton); Laura Byrd, Houston County High; Lizzy Sutton, Hebron Christian Academy (Dacula); Holly Stone, Valdosta High (Valdosta City); Amanda Edwards and Jennifer Phillips, Walton High (Cobb); Karen Whitten, Bulloch Academy (Statesboro); Penney Sconzo, The Westminster Schools; Jo Ellen Gordon, Newnan High (Coweta); Geri Flanary, Duluth High (Gwinnett); Robin Hoy, Glynn Academy; and Donna Love, Greater Atlanta Christian School (Norcross).

Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Company Vice President and General Manager Shan Cooper (center) is joined by State PAGE STAR Student Carter Lewis Guensler and Runner-up State PAGE STAR Student Ha Hoang Dang. Cooper served as mistress of ceremonies during the banquet.

Enjoying The Coca-Cola Reception are (l-r) PAGE STAR Student Region Winners Henry Burns, Ryan Chen and PAGE STAR Teacher Region Winner Chris Michael.

Photos by Robert Matta