By Johnna Pinholster
VALDOSTA — Katelyn Stokes is the 2010 STAR Student for Lowndes High School.
To achieve this recognition, Stokes had to have the highest Scholastic Assessment Test (SAT) score and be in the top 10 percent of her graduating class.
Stokes, 17, won the award in her first year at LHS. Her first three years of high school were spent in Korea at the Osan American High School.
Her father, Col. Jack Stokes, was transferred to Moody Air Force Base before the start of the 2009-2010 school year.
Lowndes High School is much larger than the school she attended in Korea and provides a much larger array of classes to choose from, Stokes said.
“The size adds excitement,” Stokes said. “I get to socialize with so many different people.”
The senior was surprised that she was awarded STAR Student status but happy that the third time she took the SAT her score jumped significantly, she said.
Though she has only been at the school a few months, math teacher Susan Cowart has already made a big impression on Stokes, she said.
Stokes chose Cowart, who teaches AP Calculus, as the 2010 STAR Teacher.
“I appreciate how she cares about each of her students individually and wants them to get the best education,” Stokes said.
Cowart said she found out about the honor two weeks ago. This is the fourth time she has been a STAR Teacher, the second time she has received the recognition at Lowndes High School.
“She made an impression on me the first day she was in class,” Cowart said. “Her sound background in mathematics was evident immediately.”
Stokes’ unpretentious and friendly attitude also makes her a joy to teach, Cowart said.
Though Stokes said she couldn’t choose a favorite subject, she definitely believes her strong suit is mathematics.
Stokes is currently awaiting notice on acceptance into Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah, where she hopes to major in clinical psychology.
She plans to pursue a doctorate in the field and hopes to one day open up her own practice.
“The human mind is really fascinating to me,” Stokes said.
She said she wants to explore how, if a person has help, they can learn to do things differently, especially in situations that may be detrimental.
Stokes is a member of the Math Team, Drama Club and Family Career and Community Leaders of America (FCCLA). She will be inducted into the math honor society, Mu Alpha Theta, this spring.
Stokes is the daughter of Jack and Lisa Stokes. She has three siblings, Matthew, 21, Thomas, 15 and Jessica 12.
Annually, the top academic senior in each participating high school is named the STAR Student for that school. High School STAR students compete for system titles, then district-wide honors. District winners and their teachers are then invited to Atlanta to compete for the state STAR awards.
The Professional Association of Georgia Educators Foundation Inc. is the state coordinator and primary state sponsor for the STAR program. The Georgia Department of Education and the Georgia Chamber of Commerce co-sponsor the state program.
