GCPS students honored at STAR Student Banquet
GCPS students honored at STAR Student Banquet
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Gwinnett County Public Schools (GCPS) seniors have been recognized by the Professional Association of Georgia Educators (PAGE) with the Student Teacher Achievement Recognition (STAR) Student Award. Twenty-nine students, who are some of the brightest in the district and within their school communities, were honored for their achievements. The students also chose a STAR Teacher, who had an impact on their success.
In addition to the individual recognitions, Aiden Pierce of Brookwood High School, Yohan Kim, Jessica Caruso, and Jessica Han, all from the Gwinnett School of Mathematics, Science, and Technology, Josh Chandran of North Gwinnett High School, and Eun Jae Lee of Peachtree Ridge High School were announced as system winners. They will now advance to compete for region honors. Region winners will then compete for state honors in March 2026.
Started in 1958, the STAR Student and Teacher program shines a light on Georgia’s outstanding high school seniors and the instructors who made significant impacts on their educational and personal development. Each year, more than 70 students are recognized.
The STAR honor is awarded to seniors ranking in the top 10 percent of their class with the highest SAT score. STAR aims to recognize academic achievement in the state of Georgia, honor excellence in teaching, encourage students to pursue education/teaching in their future careers, and demonstrate the business community’s commitment to excellence in education through partnership and sponsorship.
The students were formally recognized in January with a banquet, sponsored by Partnership Gwinnett, Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, the Gwinnett County Public Schools Foundation Fund Inc., Primerica, Surcheros, and the University of Georgia Gwinnett Campus.
Fun Fact: Two of the STAR Students, Joanne Lu of Norcross High School and Joseph Lu of Paul Duke STEM High School, are twins. GCPS applauds this year’s cohort of STAR Students and Teachers!
The STAR Students and Teachers are as follows:
| School | STAR Student | STAR Teacher |
|---|---|---|
| Archer High School | Michael Azzi | John Jameson |
| Archer High School | Joshua Heaton | Dr. Chandra Narayan |
| Berkmar High School | Calvin Vuu | Ben Austin |
| Brookwood High School* | Aiden Pierce | Christopher Michael |
| Central Gwinnett High School | Emerson Green | Lisa DeMent |
| Collins Hill High School | Kale Maxwell | Matthew Ludewig |
| Dacula High School | Eliyab Bisrat | Michael Peterson |
| Dacula High School | Rafael Romero Ivushich | Alan Cummings |
| Discovery High School | Angelina Nguyen | Danielle Malcom |
| Duluth High School | Hayyan Sharif | Dr. Christopher Decastro |
| Grayson High School | Ethan Ewiah | Linda Maunder |
| Gwinnett Online Campus | Grayson Sowter | Charles Kachmar |
| Gwinnett School of Mathematics, Science, and Technology* | Yohan Kim | Dr. Amanda Phillips |
| Gwinnett School of Mathematics, Science, and Technology* | Jessica Caruso | Dr. Amanda Phillips |
| Gwinnett School of Mathematics, Science, and Technology* | Jessica Han | Patricia Caldwell |
| Lanier High School | Sarah Lee | Darby Bagwell |
| McClure Health Science High School | Tayyab Rajgoli | Teresa Brooks |
| Meadowcreek High School | Anna Nguyen | JiYou Oh |
| Mill Creek High School | Yovel Yeboah | Megan Ivester |
| Mountain View High School | Michael McDaniel | Daniel Hauck |
| Norcross High School | Joanne Lu | Madeline Crain |
| North Gwinnett High School* | Josh Chandran | Michael Corriveau |
| Parkview High School | Layla Harris | Kim Korth |
| Paul Duke STEM High School | Joseph Lu | Ian Jones |
| Peachtree Ridge High School* | Eun Jae Lee | Briana Curtis |
| Phoenix High School | Angelique Agnor | Frank Bendin |
| Seckinger High School | Isabella Breazu | Trey Brennan |
| Shiloh High School | Aaden Scarlett | Michael Dunn |
| South Gwinnett High School | Ralph Sylvestre | Dharmendrakumar Patel |
* denotes STAR Student and Teacher
- all district
- class of 2026