John Howard of South Effingham High School has been named the STAR student for the Effingham County School System.
Howard chose Brian Shinall as his STAR teacher. Shinall, a physics teacher, taught at SEHS and now teaches at Effingham County High School.
STAR students and teachers were recognized Thursday by the Effingham Rotary Club.
Wade Rogers was named STAR student for Effingham County High School and chose Jessica Jarman as his STAR teacher. He is the son of Bob and Mary Rogers.
In addition to excelling academically, Rogers has played basketball for ECHS and contributed his sports knowledge to Rebel Radio and the Effingham Herald. Jarman is the head of the math department at ECHS and she warmly thought of Rogers’ classroom antics and recalled thinking Rogers was joking when he said he’d selected her.
In the fall, he is planning on majoring in aerospace engineering at Georgia Tech and is planning on working for the school newspaper, Technique, on the side. Rogers hopes to work for Gulfstream.
“I’m just ready to get on campus,” he said.
Shinall commended Howard’s humility.
“(He’s) one that comes along every five years,” Shinall said of Howard.
Howard is the son of Cindy Howard and Jake Howard and is an Eagle Scout. He is also a black belt in karate and a member of mock trial. He missed his Calculus II class at Armstrong Atlantic State University to attend the meeting and has received a scholarship from the Elks’ Club and is a semi-finalist for a National Merit Scholarship. He also is planning to attend Georgia Tech and will major in computer and electrical engineering.
“We are glad we can prepare them to go to universities like Georgia Tech and to hopefully make a change in the world,” Effingham Superintendent Randy Shearouse said.
The Rotary Club is the local sponsor of the STAR program. STAR students are those who have the highest SAT score and are in the top 10 percent of their class and select their STAR teacher.
The STAR student of the school system is chosen based on SAT scores and will advance to the region level. If that student is selected for the region, he will compete for a scholarship against the other region STAR students based on class rank, SAT scores and an essay explaining their extracurricular activities and their wider person.
