The Albany Area Chamber of Commerce announced Deerfield-Windsor School senior Jonathan Porter Hill as the Dougherty County 2020 PAGE STAR Student, earning the recognition for academic achievement and performance on the SAT. Hill recognized Jake Clawson of Deerfield-Windsor as his STAR teacher. Hill will represent Dougherty County at the March 17 regional competition in Thomasville.

The PAGE Student Teacher Achievement Recognition (STAR) program is sponsored, administered and promoted by the Professional Association of Georgia Educators (PAGE) and the PAGE Foundation. Since its inception in 1958, the STAR program has honored nearly 27,000 students and the teachers selected as the most influential to their academic achievement. High school seniors must have the highest score on a single test date on the SAT and be in the top 10 percent or top 10 students of their class based on grade point average to qualify for STAR nomination. The Albany Area Chamber serves as the local program sponsor and host of the luncheon recognition event.

PAGE and the PAGE Foundation honor outstanding students and educators and encourage academic excellence through competitive academic programs such as PAGE STAR, the PAGE Academic Bowl for Middle Grades and the PAGE Georgia Academic Decathlon.

Honored at today’s recognition luncheon were the school specific STAR students from throughout Dougherty County and from among which the countywide STAR student was selected. Each student selected his or her STAR teacher The school specific STAR students and teachers are: Jonathan Porter Hill of Deerfield-Windsor School, and teacher Jake Clawson of Deerfield; Kai Alana White of Dougherty Comprehensive High School, and teacher Maurice Gibson of Robert A. Cross Middle Magnet School; Dohnovan Otuoyo Walker of Monroe Comprehensive High School, and teacher Anna Gabarri-Zuern of International Studies Elementary Charter School; Andrew Orr of Sherwood Christian Academy, and teacher Sharon Howard of Sherwood; Charles Taylor III of Sherwood Christian Academy, and teacher Beth Shepard of Sherwood; Cody Altman Butler of Westover Comprehensive High School, and teacher James Little of Westover.

“Our community’s success is directly related to the success of our students. Today, we have recognized incredible talent; we should be encouraged to continue supporting these and all our students to ensure they reach their full potential,” said Bárbara Rivera Holmes, president & CEO of Albany Area Chamber of Commerce, the local STAR program sponsor and a leader in supporting the development of the community’s talent pipeline. “I’m so proud of all of our STAR students and congratulate each on their academic successes.”

STAR begins each year in participating Georgia high schools when the STAR Student is named and chooses a STAR Teacher to share in this recognition. The students and their teachers are honored by their schools and receive special recognition in their communities from one of the more than 165 statewide civic organizations and businesses that serve as local sponsors of the STAR program. Students then compete for school system recognition as the top STAR Student, and those winners compete for region honors. Region winners contend for the honor of being named State PAGE STAR Student. STAR Teachers continue on with their STAR Students at every level of the program.