Celebrating CLASS of 2015
Gwinnett County Public Schools May 2015
“We don’t receive wisdom; we must discover it for ourselves after a journey that no one can take for us… Marcel Proust
This publication captures a snapshot of the Class of 2015, with photos, facts, and just a few of the scholarships and awards garnered by members of this outstanding group of students. We know that many, many more of our students earned prestigious honors and scholarships that are not part of this publication. And we estimate that listing just the names of all of our graduates would take 74 pages! Congratulations to all of the members of the Class of 2015. We are so very proud of you!
Table of Contents A Salute to Our Seniors
1
Scholarships and Recognitions
Celebrating the Class of 2015
2
Gwinnett Student Leadership Team
Valedictorians and Salutatorians
6
STAR Students
8
Graduation Schedule
9 16
inside back cover
Roll your cursor over the page to see links in the text.
Front Cover: A Grayson senior emerges from an inflatable maze during the Senior Picnic. Back Cover: Mountain View seniors celebrate receiving their caps and gowns.
A Salute to Our Seniors After 2,340 days in the classroom— more than 15,000 hours if anyone’s counting— and all those book reports, school lunches, weekend projects, pop quizzes, bus rides, club meetings, field trips, service hours, and concerts and sporting events, it comes to this… more than 11,000 GCPS seniors will be crossing the stage later this month. Our 21 diploma-granting high schools will hold graduation ceremonies for the Class of 2015, starting with Collins Hill High School graduates on May 20 and wrapping up with Dacula grads on May 24. The members of Gwinnett County Public Schools’ largest-ever class have a lot going for them as they head off to college and careers. In the fall, most seniors— 83%— are headed to universities, colleges, and postsecondary schools in Georgia and around the country, with one in every five college-bound graduates offered at least one scholarship. As of April 2015, our graduates have been offered more than $154.6 million in academic, athletic, and military scholarships, the largest-ever scholarship tally for GCPS. Academic achievement earned offers of more than $84 million. What’s significant is the number and amount of scholarships that were not yet announced when senior information was compiled in April, including HOPE awards (typically, about a third of graduates), some National Merit Scholars, another $500,000 for GCPS’ 26 Broad Scholars, or the full-ride scholarships awarded to GCPS’ 13 Gates Millennium Scholars and 31 QuestBridge Scholars. Student athletes earned more than $64.6 million in athletic scholarships, also a record. (See page 9.) Four of the nation’s military service academies— Air Force, Army, Coast Guard, and Navy —offered appointments to 15 young leaders, a total of $5.8 million in scholarships. Another 426 seniors also will serve their country through military service after graduation. About 800 students will enter the workforce after high school, many armed with credentials and certificates earned through our technical education program and sought after by local employers. A record number of seniors are graduating with a grade percent average of 90 or better. Among our 2,523 Honor Graduates are each school’s highestranking students— the valedictorian (1st in class) and the salutatorian (2nd in class). (See page 6.) Nearly half of Gwinnett seniors took on the challenge and rigor of college-level Advanced Placement (AP) or International Baccalaureate (IB) courses their last year in high school, taking a total of 12,464 AP or IB classes, another record. In addition, a record-breaking 459 seniors were dual-enrolled, earning both high school and college credit. We’re so proud of these young people who have worked so hard to prepare for the latest chapter in their lives. Good luck, Class of 2015!
Seniors at Brookwood High School model workplace attire on Career Day.
The North Gwinnett High School Class of 2015.
Click here to enjoy more scenes from Senior Week celebrations around the county.
Celebrating the
Class of 2015
Four graduates have attended Gwinnett Online Campus all through high school.
Fun facts, figures, and photos from our graduating seniors Every GSMST senior took at least one AP course and exam during senior year.
Lanier— the district’s smallest regular high school— has the smallest senior class (334 students) among traditional schools.
GSMST senio rs celebrate at Dave and Busters. k
a snea w seniors get Mountain Vie r. ea g n uatio peak at Grad
Of Mountain View grads with college plans, 86% will attend a four-year institution.
More than 230 students will earn a diploma through the nontraditional program at Phoenix High School.
Grayson students sign each other’s yearbooks during the Senior Picnic.
A South Gwinnett graduate is the district’s only Coca-Cola Scholar.
A Duluth grad earned both a QuestBridge and a Gates Millennium scholarship.
rs figure out Duluth senio o next. where they g
A Grayson grad is a U.S. Presidential Scholar, one of only three in the state.
Meadowcreek seniors picnic on the lawn.
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Meadowcreek High School has four Broad Scholars, the most of all GCPS high schools.
At Peachtree Ridge, 90% of seniors have postsecondary education plans.
Dacula’s senior class reported 10,297 service hours. Peachtree Rid ge College Day
innett Central Gw w off the seniors sho T-shirt. Class of ’15 Central Gwinnett seniors took more AP classes during high school than any other class in school history.
With a GPA of 90% or higher, 41% of North Gwinnett seniors are Honor Grads.
Berkmar boasts the most QuestBridge Scholars (8).
The Norcross Class of 2015 includes 60 IB Diploma students and 156 course candidate students. This is the largest group of IB Diploma students since the program began at Norcross.
With nine, Collins Hill High has the most Georgia Scholars in Gwinnett.
Archer’s Valedictorian and Salutatorian are twins…
Ninety Brookwood seniors gained college credit and experience through dual enrollment.
At Shiloh, 23% of seniors plan to attend a college out of state.
Members of GCPS’ largest senior class (799), Mill Creek students were offered almost $22 million in scholarship honors.
Archer had three military service academy appointments.
…and so are two o f their QuestBri dge scho lars!
Parkview seniors were offered $8.3 million in academic scholarships.
3
Parkview seniors in this AP Government class don shades and senior shirts for the class picnic.
GCPS Seniors are‌
characters?
competitors?
nerds? 4
not acting their age?
royalty! 5
2015 Valedictorians and Salutatorians Archer High School
Mary Beth Mahaffey Valedictorian
Berkmar High School
John Mahaffey Salutatorian
Sally Tran
Valedictorian
Brookwood High School
Ryan Chen
Valedictorian
Central Gwinnett High School
Laboni Hoque Salutatorian
Amelia Melas Valedictorian
Collins Hill High School
Aksal Vashi
Valedictorian
Kenneth Williams Salutatorian
Vishnu Ramachandran Salutatorian
Rhodalene Benjamin-Addy Salutatorian
Dacula High School
Jennifer Vezeau Valedictorian
Duluth High School
Kishan Chudasama Valedictorian
Juan Eduardo Martinez Salutatorian
Douglas Byron Allen Stewart Salutatorian
Grayson High School
6
Shah Khan Valedictorian
Yash Shirsath Salutatorian
2015 Valedictorians and Salutatorians
Gwinnett School of Mathematics, Science, and Technology
Gwinnett Online Campus
Abigail Harrison Valedictorian
Jarod Sjogren Salutatorian
Joshua Brunner Valedictorian
Lanier High School
Dain Song
Valedictorian
Meadowcreek High School
Ji Hee Min
Christina Bui Valedictorian
Salutatorian
Mill Creek High School
Katherine Victoria Harrison Valedictorian
Birk Evavold Salutatorian
Ethan Chervonski Valedictorian
Matthew Chen Salutatorian
Grayson Noah Salutatorian
Lilian Hoang Salutatorian
Mountain View High School
Kasey Bell
Valedictorian
Norcross High School
Gabrielle Marquez Salutatorian
North Gwinnett High School
7
Elton Lossner Valedictorian
Megan Paik Salutatorian
2015 Valedictorians and Salutatorians Parkview High School
Kexin Zhang Valedictorian
Peachtree Ridge High School
Ziyu “Julia” Ding Salutatorian
Kevin Benjamin Lim Valedictorian
Shiloh High School
Qsanet Negassi Tekie Valedictorian
William Broniec Salutatorian
South Gwinnett High School
Olivia Casimir Valedictorian
Courtney Simone Blair Salutatorian
Destiny Broadnax Salutatorian
2015 Star Students
Each STAR (Student-Teacher Achievement Recognition) student is the senior in the top 10% of his or her class with the highest SAT score. The STAR students from Brookwood High School, Duluth High School, and Parkview High School tied for designation as Gwinnett County’s 2015 STAR Student for having the highest SAT scores among the districtwide Class of 2015. These three students also won region honors. As part of the recognition, each STAR student selects a teacher as an educator who had a strong influence on his or her academic career. Local sponsors of the event include the Gwinnett Chamber of Commerce, Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine–Georgia Campus, The University of Georgia–Gwinnett Campus, Delta Community Credit Union, Georgia Power, Peach State Federal Credit Union, Delta Kappa Gamma, and Gwinnett County Public Schools Foundation Fund. Mary Beth Mahaffey, Archer High School
Dana Katherine Balliet, Meadowcreek High School Ethan Jeffrey LoCicero, Mill Creek High School* Katherine Victoria Harrison, Mill Creek High School* Kasey Elizabeth Bell, Mountain View High School Xiaoyue “Michelle” Zhong, Norcross High School Shin JiYoon “Paul” Shin, North Gwinnett High School Sida Tang, Parkview High School Rohil Ritesh Shah, Peachtree Ridge High School Debora A. Marinca, Shiloh High School Olivia Casimir, South Gwinnett High School
Juan Eduardo Martinez, Berkmar High School Ryan Chen, Brookwood High School Amelia Melas, Central Gwinnett High School Katherine “Kitty” Moraes, Collins Hill High School Jessie Rankin, Dacula High School Vikram S. Varadarajan, Duluth High School Yash Shirsath, Grayson High School Grayson Noah, Gwinnett School of Mathematics, Science, and Technology Dain Song, Lanier High School 8
Students in bold are county and region winners. Asterisks indicate a tie at the school.
National Scholarship Winners 2015 Broad Scholars Broad Prize scholarships are awarded to graduating seniors who demonstrate a record of improvement throughout high school and who have financial need. Students who enroll in four-year colleges receive $20,000 scholarships paid out over four years ($5,000 per year). Students who enroll in two-year colleges or technical programs receive $5,000 scholarships paid out over two years ($2,500 per year). Archer High School Aliyah Winfrey
Duluth High School Brianna Valentine
Mountain View High School Tiffany Leon
Berkmar High School Nikolina Sandrk
Grayson High School Lilah Evans Michael Moise
Parkview High School Makai Greaux Ahadu Solomon
Gwinnett Online Campus Abigail Harrison
Peachtree Ridge High School Kyle Rouleau Huiying Su Paul Yang
Brookwood High School Jolee McManus Central Gwinnett High School Brian Galeano Alem Sahic Collins Hill High School Jack Mason Dacula High School Jacque Evangelister
Gwinnett School of Mathematics, Science, and Technology Simran Khoja Leslie Kumi Meadowcreek High School Elisa Diaz Anthony Jimmerson Krina Patel Darisbell Valeriano
Shiloh High School Francisco Velazquez South Gwinnett High School Sarah Dejene Krystal Stennett
2015 Gates Millennium Scholars The Gates Millennium Scholarship covers college tuition for each recipient’s entire college career. Funded by a grant from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, the program promotes academic excellence for outstanding minority students with financial need. Berkmar High School Kadijatu Sowe— University of Georgia
Meadowcreek High School Elena Granados-Barrón— Emory University Ifedinma (Sarah) Nwankwo— University of Georgia Bianca Peréz— Emory University
Dacula High School Chelsey Omoerah— University of Georgia
Mountain View High School Adrielle Kwapong— Georgia State University
Duluth High School Shi Jie (John) Li— Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Sarah Sanneh*— Princeton University
Shiloh High School Biajani McEwen-Lopez— University of Southern California
Grayson High School
South Gwinnett High School Caleb Afunyah— undecided Kawther Shemsedin Berhanu— undecided Olivia Casimir— undecided
Lilah Evans— Harvard University
*Student selected as both a Gates Millennium Scholar and a QuestBridge Scholar.
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National Scholarship Winners 2015 QuestBridge Scholars QuestBridge is a non-profit organization that links high-achieving, low-income students to some of the nation’s most selective colleges. The organization partners with colleges to offer generous financial aid packages that cover 100% of demonstrated financial need. This list includes QuestBridge Scholars known at press time. Archer High School Krystal Castanada— Emory University Tahnee Muller— University of Chicago Brianna Osaseri— Washington and Lee University Brittany Osaseri— Washington and Lee University Michelle Samson— Oberlin College
Duluth High School Sarah Sanneh*— Princeton University Gwinnett School of Mathematics, Science, and Technology Marcia N. Saetang— Wesleyan University Aaron Wubshet— Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Samuel Zinga— Emory University
Berkmar High School Christy Enriquez— Davidson College Caterine Guevara— Colorado College Brian Hernandez— Emory University Dulce Medina— Emory University Karen Nguyen— Emory University Ugushi Ogonor— University of Chicago Gerson Salmeron Rubio— Tufts University Sally Tran— Duke University
Mountain View High School Hayat H. Ramzi— Pomona College North Gwinnett High School Anna Truong— Rice University Parkview High School Ima Christian— Stanford University Ivan Duong— Dartmouth College Elshaddai Girma— Emory University Alexzandra Kellogg— University of Georgia Shehan Parmer— University of Southern California Brendan J. Taliaferro— University of Pennsylvania
Brookwood High School Sofia Ali— Stanford University Collins Hill High School Nathaniel Forrester— Rice University Amethyst R. King— Columbia University Andres Parra— Carleton College
Peachtree Ridge High School Jasmine Kamruddin— Stanford University Shiloh High School Bradford Grant— Davidson College *Student selected as both a Gates Millennium Scholar and a QuestBridge Scholar.
2015 Liga de Campeones Scholars Sponsored by Univision Atlanta, this $1,300 scholarship was awarded to 12 Georgia seniors, including six Gwinnett graduates.
2015 Coca-Cola Scholar The Coca-Cola Scholars Program Scholarship is an achievement-based scholarship awarded to graduating high school seniors each year. Students are recognized for their capacity to lead and serve, and their commitment to making a significant impact on their schools and communities. A total of 150 Coca-Cola Scholars are selected each year to receive this $20,000 scholarship.
Berkmar High School Eduardo Muñoz Meadowcreek High School Elena Granados-Barrón Miguel Lara Luis Salazar
South Gwinnett High School Kawther Shemsedin Berhanu
Angélica Sánchez Yasmeen Suárez 10
National Scholarship Winners Both the 2015 National Merit competition and the competition for National Achievement Scholars began with results of the 2013 Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Competition Qualifying Tests, taken in the junior year. Last fall, semifinalists were designated, based on the highest scores in the states that make up each region. A rigorous selection process determines finalists for scholarship awards. Most National Merit and National Achievement scholarships are one-time awards of $2,500.
2015 National Merit Semifinalists
2015 National Achievement Semifinalists
Asterisks designate scholarship winners reported for corporateand NMSC-funded scholarships. Additional scholarships will be awarded by colleges later this month and in July to students in this list.
The National Achievement Scholarship Program provides scholarships to academically promising Black American students. Asterisks designate scholarship winners.
Archer High School Mary Beth Mahaffey
Mill Creek High School Christian A. Braun
Brookwood High Robert K. Chandler Ryan Chen* Kaushik De Laboni Hoque* Kwadwo Korang Obeng-Marnu* Ye Tian Corey Zheng
Norcross High School Matthew Chen* Michelle Fisher Nolan Handali Jim Y. Huang Matthew D. Huffman Anderson D. Leggett Erica G. Rabinovich Stephanie L. Schnur Clara Wang
Central Gwinnett High School Amelia Melas Collins Hill High School Katherine “Kitty” Moraes* Duluth High School Alexis L. Hofmann Surya S. Narayanan Vikram S. Varadarajan* Michael Xu* Grayson High School Christy N. Helms Yash Shirsath Gwinnett School of Mathematics, Science, and Technology Mitesh D. Bhalani* Joshua Brunner Joon Choi Damon S. Griffin Artur D. Tarasenko* Lanier High School Dain Song*
North Gwinnett High School Hyung S. Kim Elton G. Lossner* Yeshwant Manoharan Hasib Muhammad* Megan Paik* Parkview High School Abirami S. Balajee Sania S. Chandrani Ziyu “Julia” Ding* Eric N. Dong Adam A. Kotter Kathy P. Li Christopher A. Massey William G. Moise Sida Tang
Archer High School Kynnedi J. Fye* Brookwood High School Vanessa H. Boyle* Tiffany Jonia Fomby* Jordan L. Hill Kwadwo Korang Obeng-Marnu* Reyanna L. Reeder Central Gwinnett High School Rhodalene Benjamin-Addy* Collins Hill High School Amethyst R. King*
Samuel Zinga* Mill Creek High School Ashley Ann Barnes* Norris L. Davis III* Darriele V. Russell Mountain View High School Hayat H. Ramzi* North Gwinnett High School Cory A. Brooks* Carmen E. Toomer* Marcus A. Wise
Duluth High School Jasmine M. Bouges
Parkview High School Elshaddai Girma* Amanda Nicole Mitchell* Nia M. Mitchell*
Grayson High School LaDaria D. Duffie Elihu P. Igbinadolor Taylor Alexandria Pope*
Peachtree Ridge High School Rudy R. Crosby* Casey A. Mason Alexis L. McKenzie*
Gwinnett School of Mathematics, Science, and Technology Omega T. Haileyesus Aaron Wubshet
Shiloh High School Micaiah L. Palmer* Qsanet Negassi Tekie Jasmine A. Wilson*
Peachtree Ridge High School Blake T. Best* Michael G. Collins Jenny Li Simi N. Shah 11
GCPS Scholarship Winners Other 2015 Scholarships awarded through the GCPS Foundation Fund, Inc.
Gwinnett County Public Schools
FOUNDATION
Annually, the Gwinnett County Public Schools Foundation Fund, Inc., awards a number of one-time scholarships to graduating seniors, funded through the generosity of local businesses and organizations and contributions from generous staff and community members. More than 50 graduating seniors earned $52,000 in district and school-specific scholarships administered through the Foundation, including those on these pages. Unless otherwise noted, all scholarships on these two pages are one-time awards. (Thanks, also, to the many other community organizations and businesses that support our students with additional awards and scholarships!) 2015 J. Alvin Wilbanks Educator Scholarship ($2,500) Sponsored by Peach State Credit Union and GCPS Foundation Fund— Established in 2007 in honor of CEO/Superintendent Wilbanks’ more than four decades of service to public education, and in recognition of his leadership in guiding the district to state and national prominence, this scholarship is awarded to two seniors pursuing a career in education.
2015 Alton C. Crews Educator Scholarship ($1,000) Sponsored by GCPS Foundation Fund— Since 2002, donations made in memory of Dr. Crews (GCPS superintendent, 1977–89) have funded this scholarship, awarded to GCPS seniors pursuing a teaching career. Evelyn Fairchild Jones of Brookwood High School Duncan Whitehead of Archer High School
Natalie Tontillo of North Gwinnett High School Demi Pfeffer of Mill Creek High School
2015 GCPS Foundation STEM Scholarship ($1,000) Sponsored by GCPS Foundation Fund— Established in 2013, this scholarship is awarded to one or more GCPS graduating seniors who plan to enroll in a college course of study in science, technology, engineering, or mathematics.
2015 Louise Radloff Scholarship ($2,500) Sponsored by Peach State Credit Union and GCPS Foundation Fund— This scholarship recognizes two Gwinnett County seniors who have overcome a significant personal challenge in order to graduate. This fund was established in 2004 in honor of four decades of service by Gwinnett County Board of Education member Louise Radloff.
Zachary Adams of Peachtree Ridge High School Victor Barr of Duluth High School 2015 Jim Maran Scholarship for STEM Studies ($1,000) Sponsored by GCPS Foundation Fund— Established in 2013 and named in honor of the longtime Gwinnett Chamber president, this award is for a senior who plans to pursue studies in science, technology, engineering, or mathematics.
Antonio Bailey of Norcross High School Linh Bui of Meadowcreek High School 2015 Georgia United Credit Union Women on Board Scholarship ($2,000) Sponsored by GCPS Foundation Fund— Established in 2014, this scholarship is for an outstanding young woman from Gwinnett who is a change agent and leader in her community.
Holly Gunder of Brookwood High School Christina Kim To of Grayson High School 2015 Robbie Susan Moore Scholarship ($1,000) Sponsored by United Ebony Society of Gwinnett and GCPS Foundation Fund— Founded in 2011 to honor the community service of Robbie Susan Moore, this scholarship recognizes college-bound seniors dedicated to serving the community.
Simran Rajput of Gwinnett School of Mathematics, Science, and Technology Reid Mullins Scholarship Sponsored by GCPS Foundation Fund— This award is presented to one or more deserving seniors in honor of Reid Mullins for his many years of service to Snellville Middle School and as Gwinnett’s first middle school principal.
Tejah Coffey of Shiloh High School Taylor Brooke Rudolph of Grayson High School 2015 GCPS Foundation Mathematics Scholarship ($1,000) Sponsored by GCPS Foundation Fund— Established in 2013, the scholarship is awarded to one or more GCPS seniors with plans to enroll in an undergraduate course of study in or related to mathematics.
Perrin Clavijo of Archer High School ($3,000) Bethany Bogan of South Gwinnett High School ($1,000)
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David Agyeman of Mill Creek High School Archana Premkumar of Gwinnett School of Mathematics, Science, and Technology
GCPS Scholarship Winners 2015 Dr. Barbara Reed Science Scholarship ($1,000) Sponsored by GCPS Foundation Fund— Named in honor of a longtime Gwinnett educator who also served as the district’s director of science, this award gives special consideration to applicants interested in science education.
Hope McKenzie Scholarship ($1,000) Sponsored by GCPS Foundation Fund— This scholarship is awarded to two Grayson students excelling in the arts, presented by the McKenzie family in memory of Hope McKenzie. Anna Sherlock of Grayson High School Hannah Patillo of Grayson High School
Taylor Head of Grayson High School
J. Floyd and Eunice Brannan Scholarships – Final Funding Year ($1,000) This $1,000 award is renewable for up to four years, subject to satisfactory performance and progress. Preference is given to Central Gwinnett High School students who will attend a four-year college or university, have a 3.0 GPA or better, have financial need, and have engaged in significant community service activities throughout high school.
2015 Beth Rihm Global Language Scholarship ($1,000) Sponsored by GCPS Foundation Fund— Established in 2015 by Rachel B. Mehravari, a Brookwood High School alumna and a former Beth Rihm memorial scholarship recipient. Ms. Mehravari credits a Rihm scholarship with helping her achieve her goal of becoming a member of the Foreign Service in the Diplomatic Service of the United States of America. Recipients have demonstrated a proficiency in a spoken foreign language and plan to deepen fluency through cultural immersion or extracurricular study.
Kyle Cowdrick of Central Gwinnett High School Samantha Healy of Central Gwinnett High School Sarah Ann Jestel of Central Gwinnett High School Jimmy Fang Jiang of Central Gwinnett High School Nhi Vu of Central Gwinnett High School
Chelsea Dinh of Brookwood High School Kishan Chudasama of Duluth High School 2015 John A. Raghu Music Scholarship ($1,000) Sponsored by GCPS Foundation Fund— Established in 2012 by the Raghu family in recognition of the outstanding GCPS education received by their son, John A. Raghu. This scholarship is awarded to an orchestra member, with preference to bassist, who participates in community service and has a weighted GPA of 3.0 or better.
The Brenden M. Elbaz Scholarship ($750) Sponsored by GCPS Foundation Fund— Created in Brenden’s memory, this yearly scholarship is awarded to a graduating senior at Lanier High School. William Marvel of Lanier High School Dr. Linda Williams Educational Scholarship ($500) Sponsored by GCPS Foundation Fund— This award is presented to a graduating senior from Grayson, Maxwell, or Meadowcreek high schools.
Kevin Shelton of Gwinnett School of Mathematics, Science, and Technology 2015 Susan D. Headley Scholarship ($1,000) Sponsored by GCPS Foundation Fund— This scholarship is awarded to an Archer student who exhibits good character, a love of learning, a desire to further his or her education, and is eligible for postsecondary education.
Rachel Alisa Lott of Grayson High School 2015 Award for Excellence in Academics Scholarship ($300) Sponsored by Drs. Meena and J. J. Shah— This scholarship is awarded to GCPS’ 20 valedictorians. The Shah family, founders of Gwinnett Clinic, have awarded the scholarship to Gwinnett valedictorians since 2006.
Rachel Leigh Duffy of Archer High School
Donors make a difference! A gift to the GCPS
Foundation Fund is the best way to ensure that current and future students are afforded the very best in educational opportunities. Gifts may be directed to dedicated scholarship funds, districtwide needs, or to a specific cluster or initiative. Please make your gift online today!
At left, some of the GCPS Foundation Scholarship recipients were recognized by the Gwinnett Board of Education at the April 2015 meeting. 13
Other Special Honors 2015 Service Academy Appointments
2015 U.S. Presidential Scholar
The U.S. Service Academies are four-year postsecondary institutions that combine educational excellence with military officer training. Students accepted to the academies receive a free, four-year education in return for a commitment to serve in the active-duty military after graduation. In order to be admitted, students must receive a congressional nomination from either their U.S. Representative or Senator and must meet the highly competitive educational and extracurricular standards that are set by the individual academies as well as standards for physical aptitude and medical fitness.
The U.S. Presidential Scholars Program was established in 1964, by executive order of the President, to recognize and honor some of our nation’s most distinguished graduating high school seniors. Each year, up to 141 students are named as Presidential Scholars, one of the nation’s highest honors for high school students. Among the 15 GCPS students name as candidates, the following were honored:
Archer High School Robbierre E. Armstrong— U.S. Naval Academy
Ryan Chen of Brookwood High School
Dillon M. Bliss— U.S. Military Academy at West Point Elliott C. Lee— U.S. Air Force Academy Brookwood High School Austin A. Kelley— U.S. Naval Academy Central Gwinnett High School Christopher D. Shelling— U.S. Military Academy at West Point Collins Hill High School Pyung O. Choi— U.S. Naval Academy Duluth High School Alexander P. Broomfield— U.S. Coast Guard Academy Lanier High School Avery C. Evans— U.S. Naval Academy Mill Creek High School Benjamin T. Harris— U.S. Air Force Academy Mountain View High School Kendal A. Wright— U.S. Naval Academy Norcross High School Abram J. Alexander— U.S. Air Force Academy Hadiyah A. Underwood— U.S. Military Academy at West Point Parkview High School Cally L. Troung— U.S. Naval Academy Peachtree Ridge High School Tyler A. Campbell— U.S. Military Academy at West Point Shiloh High School Aulden C. Eatmon— U.S. Naval Academy
U.S. Presidential Scholar Yash Shirsath of Grayson High School (one of three in Georgia) Semifinalists Dain Song of Lanier High School Megan Paik of North Gwinnett High School Sida Tang of Parkview High School
2015 Georgia Scholars The Georgia Scholar Program is a recognition program by the Georgia Department of Education honoring high school seniors who have achieved excellence in school and community life. Brookwood High School Renie George Ordain Ravula Collins Hill High School Nathaniel Forrester Jenny Kim Cody Lum Christina Mathew Claire Rogers Joseph Schneider Jesse Selph Jessica Thornberry Kenneth Williams Dacula High School Haley Beach Jessie Rankin Grayson High School Reid Clyburn Josh George Shah Khan Thuy-An Phan Josh Philliber Yash Shirsath Sara Thompson
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Gwinnett School of Mathematics, Science, and Technology Janel Gale Jeet Patel Archana Premkumar Samuel Zinga Lanier High School Collin Rusch Mill Creek High School Lauren Balotin Ashley Barnes Ethan Jeffrey LoCicero Austin Smith Norcross High School Elizabeth Doherty Michelle Fisher Powell Harris Parkview High School Ziya “Julia” Ding Jack Fontana Matthew Rollins Brendan Taliaferro Sida Tang
Other Special Honors STEP Academy Graduates Earn High School Diplomas This year, the inaugural class of the GCPS STEP Academy will graduate from Berkmar High School. These 32 seniors, who were not on track for on-time graduation, completed 8th and 9th grade coursework in one year, and started a STEM-related career pathway while attending the STEP Academy at Sweetwater Middle School. Rejoining their peers in 10th grade, these students completed all requirements to earn their high school diploma. Bryant Alexander Amaya Aleman Steven Kyle Andrews* Fidah Arman Bendy Addae Buabeng Amber Catherine Corbett Brenda Cosme Lopez Hayer Steven Echeverry K’yndia Monay Evans* Michael Edward Fluker, Jr. Jessica Garcia Melissa Garcia
Omar Fitzgerald Gray Monique Lanae Harkless Jaelin Kennard Helm Nene Jallow Christian Lee Lindsey Fabiola Fernanda Menendez-Mejia Erik Anthony Molina Taylor Ariana Nalls Emanuel Jassiel Nunez-Frias Nathan Amponsa Opoku* Christopher Pavon
Pablo Ismael Perez Crystal Francisca Rodriguez Tristian Tyler Stockton Bryce Nicholas Thompson Jordan Nicole Thompson Griselda Areli Urias Guadalupe Valdes Hernandez Claudia Stefany Vides JaDarrius Darnell Warner D’Andrea Michelle Wingate *Student is graduating from another high school.
2015 GCPS Career and Technical Education Student of the Year District winners were selected from among local school Career and Technical Education Students of the Year for outstanding work in the classroom and leadership in technical education student organizations. Scholarships are funded through the Gwinnett County Public Schools Foundation Fund, Inc., with contributions from the Georgia Department of Labor Employer Committee and the Atlanta Electrical Contractors Association.
Winner: Nisaa Maragh, Archer High School,
$1,000 scholarship 1st runner-up: Victor Barr, Duluth High School, $750 scholarship 2nd runner-up: Ye Tian, Brookwood High School, $500 scholarship
2015 Outstanding Senior Athletes The Outstanding Senior Athlete Award is presented to a male and female student at each high school who has shown excellence in athletics, academics, and leadership roles in the school and community service. These students are not necessarily the best athletes in their Senior class, but have shown to be outstanding in a variety of areas. The Activities Director at each high school works with the coaching staff to select the students who will represent their school. Students listed in red are the top senior student-athletes of 2015. High School
Male Athlete
Female Athlete
High School
Male Athlete
Female Athlete
Archer
Austin Lyons
Mary Beth Mahaffey
Mill Creek
Kaleb Kim
Argy Kosmakos
Berkmar
Jose Acosta
Raven Mathews
Mountain View
Adam Flatt
Gabrielle Marquez
Brookwood
Bailey Ivemeyer
Shivanee Persaud
Norcross
Ethan Chervonski Bailey Tardy
Central Gwinnett Adonis Thomas
Alex Frazier
North Gwinnett
Jeramey Hampton Jessica Cathcart
Collins Hill
Cody Bekemeyer
Bola Hambolu
Parkview
David Draper
Victoria Harris
Dacula
Jacque Evangelister Caroline Hinton
Peachtree Ridge
Blake T. Best
Haley McInerny
Duluth
Rodney Jones
Rebecca Graham
Shiloh
Zachary Olivar
Elizabeth Humes
Grayson
Jordan Hayes
Brittney Bennett
South Gwinnett
Chad Smith
Ayana Daniels
Lanier
Christopher Tromp Molly Kunkle
Gwinnett HEAT* Tyler Farmer
Meadowcreek
Miguel Lara
* Gwinnett HEAT is Gwinnett County’s Adapted Sports Program, which fields teams in several sports. All participants must compete in a wheelchair.
Guadalupe Ruelas 15
Gwinnett Student Leadership Team 2015 GSLT Seniors The Gwinnett Student Leadership Team, Inc., (GSLT) is a two-year student leadership program that provides opportunities for high school juniors and seniors in Gwinnett County Public Schools and Buford City Schools to develop personal and organizational leadership skills and an awareness of community issues. GSLT develops a cadre of student leaders who facilitate leadership development among peers in their own schools and leave a legacy of leadership that promotes student involvement and overall excellence. The program is a cooperative effort sponsored by Gwinnett County Public Schools and the Gwinnett Chamber of Commerce in partnership with other community agencies, institutions, and business leaders. Archer High School Adriana Amyette
Dacula High School Robert Cason Calhoun
Lanier High School Avery Evans
North Gwinnett High School Karri Jo Hardaway
Austin Lyons
Caroline Hinton
Ji Hee Min
Jack Thomas
Linzi Nicole Prpich
Nathaniel Hinton
Christopher Tromp
Berkmar High School Eduardo Muñoz
Duluth High School Ashima Gauba
Meadowcreek High School Bianca Peŕez
Randall Priest
Rebecca Jane Graham
Luis Salazar
Sally Tran
Kaitlyn Richards-Lynn
Lisa Thi Tran
Brookwood High School Ethan Prather Goodwin
Grayson High School Christian Brook
Mill Creek High School Nancy Burkett
Holly Gunder
Christy Helms
Ellie Kesler
Cindy Khanh Nguyen
Sarah Elizabeth Henning
Austin Mead
Central Gwinnett High School Nikola Stojkic
Gwinnett Online Campus Halle Newman
Mountain View High School Noah W. Barnes
Jarod Sjogren
Amy Lee
Gwinnett School of Mathematics, Science, and Technology Karima Alkhalid
Neel Pathak
Marcia N. Saetang
Amanda Anne Valentini
Daniel Valdes Collins Hill High School Cory Benson Audra Crabbe Reid Hansen
Norcross High School Griffin Barker Lauren Chandler Watts
from GCPS in 2015 since program began in 2005–06
17,682… Number of volunteer service hours by the GSLT Class of 2015 during their junior and senior years
822… Number of leadership development sessions designed and led by GSLT students and administrators during 2014–15 179,239… Number of students who attended leadership development sessions in Gwinnett County in 2014–15
Niki Ozburn Peachtree Ridge High School Loren Cobb Samuel Rosa Smriti Singh Phoenix High School Britney Dobson Sean D. Edwards Shiloh High School Courtney S. Blair Jeremiah T. Edwards Kiva A. Thompson South Gwinnett High School Kawther Shemsedin Berhanu Destiny Broadnax
58… Number of graduating GSLT seniors 768… Total number of GSLT graduates
Harshal Choksi
Bethany Joyce Bogan
GSLT … by the Numbers
Parkview High School Kaizeen Badshah
“The power of positive thinking becomes positive doing. Leadership is not telling someone what to do or how to do it; it is leading others in the right direction.” ~GSLT senior
15… Number of GSLT events each year 16
2015 GCPS Graduation Schedule School
Day
Date
Time
Location
Archer High School
Saturday
May 23
8 a.m.
Gwinnett Center Arena
Berkmar High School
Thursday
May 21
4 p.m.
Gwinnett Center Arena
Brookwood High School
Thursday
May 21
8 p.m.
Brookwood Stadium
Central Gwinnett High School
Thursday
May 21
7 p.m.
Central Gwinnett Stadium
Collins Hill High School
Wednesday
May 20
4 p.m.
Gwinnett Center Arena
Dacula High School
Sunday
May 24
6 p.m.
Gwinnett Center Arena
Duluth High School
Saturday
May 23
4 p.m.
Gwinnett Center Arena
Grayson High School
Thursday
May 21
8 p.m.
Gwinnett Center Arena
Gwinnett Online Campus
Wednesday
May 20
7 p.m.
Gwinnett Online Campus Auditorium
Gwinnett School of Mathematics, Science, and Technology
Thursday
May 21
5 p.m.
Gwinnett Center Exhibit Hall
Lanier High School
Friday
May 22
Noon
Gwinnett Center Arena
Meadowcreek High School
Saturday
May 23
8 p.m.
Gwinnett Center Arena
Mill Creek High School
Thursday
May 21
8 p.m.
Markham Field at Mill Creek
Mountain View High School
Friday
May 22
8 a.m.
Gwinnett Center Arena
Norcross High School
Friday
May 22
8 p.m.
Gwinnett Center Arena
North Gwinnett High School
Friday
May 22
4 p.m.
Gwinnett Center Arena
Parkview High School
Thursday
May 21
8 p.m.
Parkview Community Stadium
Peachtree Ridge High School
Wednesday
May 20
8 p.m.
Gwinnett Center Arena
Phoenix High School
Wednesday
May 20
7 p.m.
Gwinnett Grand Ballroom
Shiloh High School
Saturday
May 23
Noon
Gwinnett Center Arena
South Gwinnett High School
Sunday
May 24
2 p.m.
Gwinnett Center Arena
437 Old Peachtree Rd., NW • Suwanee, GA 30024-2978 • (678) 301-6000 www.gwinnett.k12.ga.us 2015 Gwinnett County Board of Education Dr. Mary Kay Murphy, Chairman– District III • Dr. Robert McClure, Vice Chairman– District IV Carole Boyce– District I • Louise Radloff– District V • Daniel Seckinger– District II J. Alvin Wilbanks, CEO/Superintendent It is the policy of Gwinnett County Public Schools not to discriminate on the basis of race, color, sex, religion, national origin, age, or disability in any employment practice, educational program, or any other program, activity, or service. 17
Congratulations to the Class of 2015! CommuniquÊ is produced by Gwinnett County Public Schools’ Department of Communications and Media Relations. Thanks to the staff and administrators who helped us honor our seniors in this issue. Special thanks to Lisa Hopper, Jessica Quinones, and Kondria Woods for many of the photographs.
Mountain View seniors celebrate!