CCSD Recognizes 124 Students as Superintendent’s 2012 Key Scholars

The Key Scholar Program is a districtwide academic recognition plan that begins in elementary schools with students qualifying for the nationally recognized Duke University Talent Identification Program (or TIP).

Over the last four years, more than 1,000 Cherokee County School District students in grades four and five qualified for the Duke TIP program by achieving exceptional scores on either the Cognitive Abilities Test or the Iowa Tests of Basic Skills.

Each student receiving this recognition received a Certificate of Achievement at his/her school’s year-end awards ceremony; and the Cherokee County School District has received special recognition from Duke University for having the largest number of students identified in the State of Georgia.

At the middle school level, the Key Scholars Program also includes Duke’s TIP, through which eligible students have the opportunity to get a head start on SAT and ACT testing… which usually does not begin until high school. Seventh-grade students participate in this nationally standardized testing, with many receiving State Recognition; and they are also recognized at a School Board meeting and at a special Duke University ceremony in Atlanta.

For high school students, the Key Scholar Program focuses on the Preliminary SAT (or PSAT). Freshmen scoring at the 80th percentile or above on the PSAT receive a Certificate of Achievement at their school’s year-end awards ceremonies. Sophomores scoring at the 85th percentile or above on the PSAT receive a Certificate of Achievement at their school’s year-end awards ceremonies. The top award in the Key Scholar Program goes to seniors who qualify as National Merit Scholars. Over the past seven years, these academically outstanding students have led their classes as they marched across the stage at graduation wearing a special gold medallion.

For the 2011-12 school year, 124 students were named Superintendent’s 2012 Key Scholars. Each of these outstanding students has scored at the 90th percentile or above on the Grade 11 PSAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test. During a special ceremony held recently at River Ridge High School, they received a School District Certificate of Achievement and a letter jacket patch that reads “Superintendent’s Key Scholar.” Each student will also be honored at their school’s year-end awards ceremony as a Superintendent’s Key Scholar.

“To our distinguished students, you are here this evening because you rank in the top 10% of all students in the Nation who took the PSAT exam in October of this school year,” Superintendent of Schools Dr. Frank Petruzielo said during the ceremony. “That is a major accomplishment, one for which you should be very proud! As academic leaders, you have the potential to continue distinguishing yourselves as high school seniors, in your college pursuits and, eventually, in your chosen careers.”

Please see the list below of the names of recipients from each high school:

Cherokee High School
Caleb Bowlick
Jeffrey Bradshaw
Matthew Davidson
Shawn Gressly
Sydney Harrison
Samantha Holloway
Jacqueline Kim
Ian Lewis
Alec Loos
Gibson Manous
Ashley Peterman
Dixie Ray
Jebb Ricketts
Caleb Rogers
Ashley Tofil
Wade Vine
Macy Werner
Amelia White
Taylor Wilson
Timothy Wolf
Skyler Wyatt
Eloise Yount

Creekview High School
Mary Blackwell
Benjamin Carraway
Victoria Cochran
John Cowart
Mason Gaddis
Janet Garner
Jordan Gates
Taylor Gates
Adam Geller
Tracy Hall
Emily Horn
Benjamin McFarlin
Ashley Pacilio
Kasey Perrin
Justin Pettyjohn
Jonathan Russell
Madeline Ryan
Kathryn Sanders
Edmund Schoewe
Abigail Sherrod
Kayla Spenard
Chase Tetpon
Madison Thrift
Tessa Trumbauer

Etowah High School
Emma Auger
Alyssa Baker
Sarah Banks
Lynae Bresser
Brandon Brooks
Christopher Carpentier
Braden Gathercole
Leslie Gostin
Hunter Hayes
Hannah Keith
Yuhjong Liu
Ahila Manivannan
Madison Miracle
Duncan Morgan
Dylan Morgan
Christian Petee
Shyanna Pruette
Conrad Quagliaroli
James Randall
Lucas Read
Clara Romero
Jamie Rule
Anna Smith
Emily Snook

River Ridge High School
Sofia Awan
Kyle Collins
Ian Donn
Nicholas Hancock
Kaitlin Herman
Hunter MacInnis
Davis MacKenzie
Joseph Mayes
Theresa Nguyen
Emma O’Bryant
Raj Patel
Jackson Weeg
Connor Wilkinson
Mark Wood

Sequoyah High School
Dalton Anderson
Ethan Bjorn
Hailey Brower
Savannah Chappelear
Dustin Dawson
Samantha Doniel
Victoria Gordon
Margaret Hartman
John Hutchinson
David Kemp
Anna King
Caden Kluge
Mary McIntyre
Molly McKune
Paige Miller
Courtney Millican
Julia Nailor
Haley Smith
James Stinson
Amanda Stump
Calvin White
Derek Willingham

Woodstock High School
Kerby Baier
Angela Banks
Kristen Bartlett
David Boggs
Clare Botti
Joshua Chang
Calvin Ebert
Jackson Finley
Sara Graf
Chloe Heidt
Tiffany Jaquins
Cheyenne Moon
Joshua Myers
William Pippin
Nicole Poirier
Leila Saleh
Luke Sellers
Anna Timm