Lowndes High announces S.T.A.R. student and teacher of the year

VALDOSTA, Ga. (WALB) - Lowndes High School is naming its S.T.A.R. student and teacher for the 2022-2023 school year.

The S.T.A.R., Student Teacher Achievement Recognition Program, honors graduating high school seniors who have the highest score on the SAT and are in the top 10 percent, or top 10 students of their class — based on grade point average.

This year’s S.T.A.R. student, Clark Rodgers, qualified as a nominee with a score of 1490 on the SAT.

“It’s really a surreal thing to know that I got the highest score at the high school. But it makes me feel great that all my hard work, studying and efforts have paid off,” Rodgers said. “You really do have to work hard and study to be at the top of your class. Especially at a high school this big. There’s 600 students who ended up taking the same SAT I did. And I still came out on top.”

Becky Martin, who has been a S.T.A.R. teacher for four years, says this recognition is validating all the hard work she does to help prepare each and every student to be exceptional at the next level.

“Clark Rodgers is just one of the best of the best.” Martin said. “Clark is stellar in so many other ways. He has wonderful character, leadership, and such enthusiasm. Everybody loves Clark. It makes such a difference to me to realize that I have made a difference in these exceptional students’ lives.”

Rodgers says his talents won’t stop at Lowndes High School. He has several plans for what he wants to do with his future.

“I’m planning to attend Georgia Tech. in the fall and major in Business Administration, with a concentration in finance. Afterwards, I plan to get into asset management for a firm like Black Rock and stay there for a couple years. Then hopefully be a portfolio manager by my mid 30′s,” Rodgers said.

Rodgers and Martin attended an event to announce the highest test score for the region. Although Rodgers fell short, he is still encouraging students to push to be the S.T.A.R.student at their school one day.

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