The Baldwin County 2024 Student-Teacher Achievement Recognition (STAR) recipients are Alexander Bakken from Baldwin High School, William Steinfield from GMC Prep, and Jenna Clark from John Milledge Academy.
Below is a little bit about each STAR:
Baldwin High School senior Alexander Bakken
Bakken chose Jessica Thompson as his STAR teacher. He is very involved at school including being a member of the varsity soccer team, Beta Club, National Honor Society, and other organizations. He has won numerous awards and is motivated to leave a positive impact on the world.
He was accepted during an early decision into Dartmouth College in New Hampshire, where he will explore his passions and interests.
GMC Prep School senior William Steinfeld
Steinfeld chose Alisha Rochon as his STAR teacher. He currently serves as the president of the Student Honor Council and the vice president of the Mu Alpha Theta Math Honor Society.
He is also a member of the National Honor Society, National Beta Club, Rho Kappa History Honor Society, International Thespian Honor Society, Chick-fil-A Leadership Academy, and Mathworks Math Modeling Challenge Team showcase. He has been accepted to the Georgia Institute of Technology, where he will be studying biomedical engineering.
He plans to earn an MD/ PhD to pursue a career in biomedical research, studying nanotechnology, targeted cancer therapies, gene and stem cell therapies, and drug delivery systems.
John Milledge Academy senior Jenna Clark
Clark chose Rebecca Brasher as her STAR teacher. She is a member of the National Beta Club, National Honor Society, International Thespian Society, student council, drama club, the Chick-fil-A Leadership Academy, the Historic Watson Brown Junior Board, and many other organizations.
She has won various awards related to soccer, community service, one-act competition, and more. She plans to attend the Georgia Institute of Technology and major in literature, media, and communication.
Each STAR Student and teacher will be awarded a scholarship. The 2024 system winner will be announced at the award ceremony on Feb. 1st at The Club at Lake Sinclair and the system winner and his/her teacher will go on to compete for region honors on March 19th in Macon.
The PAGE Student Teacher Achievement Recognition (STAR) program, now in its 66th year, is sponsored, administered, and promoted by the Professional Association of Georgia Educators (PAGE) and the PAGE Foundation.
Since its creation, the STAR program has honored nearly 29,500 students and the teachers they each selected as having had the most influence on their academic achievement.
To obtain the 2024 STAR nomination, graduating 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.
This year marks the 38th year that the Milledgeville-Baldwin County Chamber of Commerce has been the local sponsoring organization for the Baldwin County STAR program.
Other local sponsors are the Milledgeville Exchange Club, the Kiwanis Club of Milledgeville, and the Rotary Club of Milledgeville.