The College Board honored students through its National Recognition Programs awards, which are The College Board honored students through its National Recognition Programs awards, which are designed to provide recognition opportunities for high school seniors and juniors in underrepresented groups. Students may apply for the National African American Recognition Award (NAARA), National Hispanic Recognition Award (NHRA), National Indigenous Recognition Award (NIRA), and National Rural and Small Town Recognition Award (NRSTA).To be considered for an award, students must have a GPA of at least 3.5 and either exceptional test scores placing them in the top 10% in their state on the PSAT/NMSQT or PSAT 10, or scores of 3 or higher on two or more Advanced Placement (AP) exams.Honorees

From CCSD High Schools Located in Woodstock

Etowah HS
Gabrielle Crane, NAARA; Cristina Garcia, NHRA; Zachary Gonzalez, NHRA; Eric Martinez, NHRA; Jamari Maxime, NAARA; Laika Olwana, NAARA; Kaili Phillips, NAARA; Tiffany Reece, NAARA; David Rocha, NHRA; Jose Solis-Ocampo, NHRA; Megan Torres, NHRA

i-GRAD Virtual Academy
Lula Cocking, NHRA

River Ridge HS
Anthony Amos, NAARA; Isabella Lenahan, NHRA; Revis McClairen, NAARA; Oluwasemilore Micheal, NAARA; Ijeoma Omorogbe, NAARA; Leah Orr, NAARA; Kimberly Rodriguez, NHRA

Woodstock HS
Ryan Bustelo, NHRA; Evelyn Campos, NHRA; Jullia Costa, NHRA; Santiago Ochoa, NHRA; Eowyn Ordones, NHRA


Honorees From CCSD High Schools Located in Canton

Cherokee HS

Raphael Aca, NHRA and NRSTA; Martin Armbruster, NRSTA; Andrew Barnes, NRSTA; Camille Bruu, NRSTA; Caleb Christian, NRSTA; Kate Crotty, NRSTA; Emily Cruse, NRSTA; Jenna Cuomo, NRSTA; Dylan Dela-Vega, NRSTA; Owen Garity, NRSTA; Erin Gilleland, NRSTA; Chase Gorum, NRSTA; Emily Gross, NRSTA; Johnna Kelly, NRSTA; Elijah Key, NRSTA; William Longstaff, NRSTA; Halley Lugli, NRSTA; Elliana Mathews, NRSTA; Abby McCarty, NRSTA; Riley Morris, NRSTA; Rachel Newman, NRSTA; Luke Oaks, NRSTA; Lucas O’Connor, NRSTA; Mackenzie Pruett, NRSTA; Alexander Ramirez-Meza, NHRA; Noelle Richardson, NRSTA; Spencer Rosant, NAARA and NRSTA; Finnegan Sheldon, NRSTA; Abigail Snyder, NRSTA; Anna Snyder, NRSTA; Benjamin Squires, NRSTA; Haley Starr, NRSTA; Julia Stevens, NAARA; Collin Ulm, NRSTA; Elizabeth Waller, NRSTA; and Jacob Waller, NRSTA

Creekview HS

Lillian Abdinoor, NRSTA; Jacqueline Akin, NRSTA; Micah Bailey, NRSTA; Eason Barrineau, NRSTA; Winton Bowman, NRSTA; Jameson Brooks, NRSTA; Alexander Candelario, NRSTA, NHRA, and NAARA; Mackinsey Candelario, NRSTA, NHRA, and NAARA; Landon Carlson, NRSTA; Tatum Carmichael, NRSTA; Lindsey Clark, NRSTA; Rachel Cohen, NRSTA; Katelyn English, NRSTA; Lucilia Foran, NHRA; Searlait Frey, NRSTA; Charli Gilliam, NRSTA; Grace Gilmore, NRSTA; Austin Hamm, NRSTA; Bryce Holder, NRSTA; Brayden Huguenard, NRSTA; Tyson Hurdle, NRSTA; Aiden Hurst, NRSTA; Owen Jacobson, NRSTA; Elsa Johnson, NRSTA; Eli Keith, NRSTA; Samantha Khanimov, NRSTA and NHRA; Andres Klementzos, NRSTA and NHRA; Ava Lightsey, NRSTA; Jenna Lofton, NRSTA; Jasmine Lutin, NRSTA and NHRA; Molly Maloney, NRSTA; Korrigan Marsh, NRSTA; Caleb Miller, NRSTA; Chani Miller, NRSTA; Maryanne Momeh, NRSTA and NAARA; Grayson Newell, NRSTA; Benjaminh Nguyen, NRSTA; Ava Obermeier, NRSTA; Sophia Orris, NRSTA; Jonathan Palzewicz, NRSTA; Wyatt Pangburn, NRSTA; Nickolas Pelcastre, NRSTA and NHRA; Marissa Poette, NHRA; Anne Robida, NRSTA; Gina Ross, NRSTA; Lake Rowley NRSTA and NIRA; Sofia Sanchez, NHRA; Cade Smith, NRSTA; Myer Spillers, NRSTA and NHRA; Austin St. Amour, NRSTA; Isabella Stamey, NRSTA; Amilya Taft, NRSTA; Madison Thompson, NIRA; Cameron Thrower, NRSTA; Palmer Vining, NIRA; Braxton Walker, NRSTA; Audrey Warnick, NRSTA; Noah Watkins, NRSTA; and Olivia White, NRSTA

Sequoyah HS

Zahira Ambriz-Villela NHRA and NRSTA; Luke Barber, NRSTA; Tristan Barber, NRSTA; Jordan Barker NRSTA; Aidan Christian, NRSTA; Justin Clark, NAARA and NRSTA; Ethan Clay, NRSTA; Christopher Coli-Lopez, NHRA; Sayler Davies, NRSTA; Blakely Freeman, NRSTA; Amelia Griffiths, NRSTA; Maci Hamilton, NRSTA; Isabel Harper, NRSTA; Sean Harrelson, NRSTA; Elizabeth Hebert, NRSTA; Noah Kunik, NRSTA; Claire Mathis, NRSTA; Catherine McCrobie, NRSTA; Julian Noaker, NRSTA; Jennifer Ramos-Hernandez, NRSTA; Robert Raymer, NHRA and NRSTA; Asby Rowson, NRSTA; Mengxi Tang, NRSTA; Sophie Taylor, NRSTA; Luke Thoroughman, NRSTA; Geethanjali Thota, NRSTA; Rylee Trusner, NRSTA

Additional students may earn this honor before the end of the school year. 

Students Win Gold in Statewide Summer Special Olympics

Cherokee County Special Olympics’ soccer team won gold and numerous students earned gold for swimming, tennis, and track and field events.

The soccer team is a unified team, meaning it includes neurotypical peers who are called Unified Partners in the competition. Team members are Leah Weatherby, Cherokee HS; Charlie Holderness and Leland Wilson, Creekview HS; Kord Bowen and Cody West, Transition Academy; Audric Agbavon, Woodstock HS; and Unified Partners Matthew Gordon and Hadley Moore, River Ridge HS.

The swim gold medalists are Nicolle Valle (50M Seniors Freestyle), Etowah HS; Cassie Vanderberg (Juniors 10M Assist and Juniors 15M Unassisted), River Ridge HS; Carly Carter (Juniors 10M Assist), Xavier Baldonado (50M Juniors Freestyle and 25M Juniors Backstroke), and Juan Galvez (50M Seniors Freestyle) of Sequoyah HS; Del Cannon (4 x 25 Unified Senior Relay, 25M Seniors Freestyle, and 50M Seniors Freestyle), Nicole Fox (25M Seniors Freestyle), and Merritt Wilson (4 x 25 Unified Senior Relay, 25M Senior Breaststroke, and 50M Senior Breaststroke) of Transition Academy; Aiden Kohlhepp (Juniors 25M Flotation) and Remy Wilson (25M Senior Freestyle and 50M Senior Freestyle), and Unified Partners in the 4 x 25 Unified Senior Relay, Leia Lankford and Emmy Mims of Woodstock HS; and Davis Kohl (Juniors 10M Assist and Juniors 15M Flotation) and Brady Pike (Juniors 15M Walk) of Woodstock MS.

The tennis gold medalists are the unified team of Brody Wright of Transition Academy and Aven Wright of Cherokee HS.

The track and field gold medalists are Ta’Nieyah Calhoun (100M), Cherokee HS; Reed Rogers (100M), Liberty ES; Lyric Welch (100M and Mini Javelin Throw), Liberty ES; and Matthew Bek (200M), Transition Academy.

Winners were recognized by the Cherokee County School Board and Superintendent of Schools Dr. Brian V. Hightower at the September School Board meeting, which also recognized Transition Academy student Caleb Guy who earned three silver medals in kayaking competitions at the international Special Olympics World Games in Berlin this summer.

Little River Elementary Celebrates STEM Lab Opening

Little River ES recently held a ribbon cutting for its new STEM lab, which was funded by the Little River PTA. STEM teacher Shaniqua Young spent months working on her vision for the lab, which includes collaborative student workspaces and organized resources for STEM activities. Teacher Wins Statewide Education Award Etowah HS teacher Lara McDonald, who is the current CCSD Teacher of the Year, has earned the 2023 Outstanding Biology Teacher Award for Georgia. The annual award is presented to one middle or high school teacher in each state by the National Association of Biology Teachers. Honorees are selected based on teaching ability and experience, school and community engagement, and positive student-teacher relationships.

Students Named Statewide Ambassadors for National Nonprofit

Holly Springs ES STEM Academy first-grader Jack Bauer and Liberty ES second-grader Edith Benson are two of Georgia’s five 2023-24 Youth Heart Ambassadors for the American Heart Association. As ambassadors, they will help raise awareness about the association and its important role in raising funds for cardiovascular disease research, advocacy for public health, and lifesaving resources. They will also encourage other children to participate in association activities including the Kids Heart Challenge and the American Heart Challenge that inspire healthy habits. The association selects its ambassadors from nominations of young people who have been affected by heart disease or stroke either through a personal diagnosis, diagnosis of a loved one, or through making a personal lifestyle change. Bauer is a congenital heart defect survivor who was born with Heterotaxy Syndrome, which led to multiple congenital heart defects. A congenital heart defect survivor born with a ventricular septal defect and congenital complete AV block, Benson has undergone three open heart surgeries and now lives with a pacemaker.

Students Selected for All-State Theatre Program

Sequoyah HS senior Valor Lekas and juniors Noah Popp and Ava Grace Roberts will participate in this year’s elite All-State Theatre Program that culminates with performances at the 2024 Georgia Thespian Conference. Roberts successfully auditioned for the cast of the conference’s opening and closing performances. Lekas and Popp were selected through a competitive application process.

School Nurse Wins State Award

Liberty ES nurse Amanda Fox was named an Outstanding School Nurse winner for PTA District 13, which includes Cherokee and Forsyth counties, and then advanced to earn the Georgia PTA statewide award, which honors school nurses for going above and beyond their duties.