Fifteen Seniors Named National Merit Commended Students
The 15 CCSD high school seniors are among the only 2-3% of the Class of 2023 honored nationwide with the recognition, which is based on the high scores the students earned on the PSAT. Although Commended students do not continue in the competition for National Merit Scholarships, they may earn special National Merit Scholarships sponsored by corporations and businesses that will be awarded in the spring.

The honorees are Thaddeus Brake, Sarah Pfanstiel, Hayden Roberson, Sydney Watson, and Renzo Zapata from Cherokee HS; Camdyn Gates, Brayden Huguenard, and Cameron Thrower from Creekview HS; Hailey Weiner from Etowah HS; Aiden Allison, Caleb Lewis, and Adrianna Musser from River Ridge HS; William P. Murphy and Sunny Nguyen from Sequoyah HS; and Bryce Jones from Woodstock HS.


CCSD Special Education Director Earns State Award
Charlette Green, who has led CCSD’s Special Education department since 2009, was awarded the 2023 Phil Pickens Administrator Award by the Georgia Parent Mentor Partnership. The award is presented to one special education administrator statewide each year to recognize “outstanding leadership in the collaborative work between school, home, and community to improve the outcome for students with disabilities.”

Examples of the most recent new initiatives under her leadership include developing a CCSD Special Education Parent University program, establishing an employability fair with the Cherokee County Chamber of Commerce, collaborating with the Georgia Vocational Rehabilitation Agency to bolster summer job training programs, and creating a parent feedback system.


Etowah HS Student Named to State School Superintendent’s 2023-24 Student Advisory Council
Senior Cristina Garcia is among the 69 high school students from across the state selected for this prestigious role. State School Superintendent Richard Woods chose his student advisors based on their applications and answers to essay questions about improving public education. The group will meet with Superintendent Woods throughout the school year to talk about how state policies affect their schools.

Garcia is an outstanding student, school and community leader, and volunteer. A Governor Honor's Program alumna for chemistry, she has earned the UGA Certificate of Merit and SOAR Award, is an AP Scholar with Distinction, and a Superintendent’s Key Scholar. She has served as president of the Sociedad Honoraria Hispánica (National Spanish Honor Society) for the past two years and is a member of the National Honor Society, National English Honor Society, and Mu Alpha Theta (National Math Honor Society).


River Ridge HS Student Participates in Select Aviation Program
Junior Eva Yokley was selected for the Women In Aviation “Women Inspiring our Next Generation” (WING) program, sponsored by Delta Air Lines. Only 130 young women from metro Atlanta were chosen for the special program.

The group participated in a one-day flight from Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport directly to NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, FL. It was only the second time for a commercial aircraft to land at the space center. The flight was fully staffed by an all-female crew, and the space center tour included a panel presentation by women in the aerospace and aviation industries.


Teacher Named Georgia Art Educator of the Year
Hasty ES Fine Arts Academy teacher Dr. Lisa Spence won the statewide title in recognition of her efforts at the school, community, and state levels. The statewide association presents the overall award to one Georgia teacher a year in each division: elementary, middle, and high schools.

Dr. Spence, who joined CCSD in 2019, last year earned the Crayola Creativity Ambassador international art education honor, presented by the National Art Education Association and Crayola Education. Only 75 teachers worldwide were selected for the recognition. A member of the state and National Art Education Association, she has also earned numerous grants, including recent awards from Amicalola EMC Bright Ideas, Cherokee County Educational Foundation’s Impact Grants, and The Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi’s Love of Learning Awards to enhance Hasty’s art program.