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NCSS hands out student accolades on last full week of school
NCSS Accolades
Newton County School Board chair Shakila Henderson-Baker stands with Eastside High School senior Bethany McGowan as McGowan holds an awards certificate. McGowan won the Best in Category-Physics/Astronomy award during this year's Georgia Science & Engineering Fair. - photo by Courtesy of Newton County School System

*PLEASE NOTE: In the printed and e-edition of this story, a headline from a previous story was incorrectly left/placed upon this article. We apologize for the error and will run a corrected version of this article in our Wednesday print and e-editions.

COVINGTON, Ga. — During the last full week of school, and the week before high school graduation, the Newton County Schools System passed out some final awards and recognitions for high-achieving students in the classroom. 

Newton High’s Onemerhomu Erakpotobor and San Atherton were named NCSS Scholar of the Week along with Alcovy students Tiarra Curry and Danielle Foster. 

Erakpotobor boasts a cumulative 96 grade point average as he attends the Academy of Liberal Arts at Newton. He’s taken an assortment of Advanced Placement courses such as human geography, psychology, physics and macro and microeconomics. The senior’s also got four years of Latin under his belt. 

Beyond the classroom, Erakpotobor is a member of the Beta Club and has played for the Rams’ boys varsity soccer team for all four years as a Ram. He volunteers for the American Red Cross and the United Kidney Foundation, just to name a few places. 

As for Atherton, she holds a 96.3 cumulative GPA and has taken AP classes such as American Government/Civics and English Literature. She’s a part of Future Farmers of America, takes modern dance classes and is a member of the school’s dance club. 

Atherton plans to attend Georgia State and pursue a bachelor’s degree in psychology with a minor business, while Erakpotobor has desires to attend either Mercer, Georgia Tech, Emory or Morehouse. Though undecided, he says he may choose to pursue majoring in economics in college. 

Alcovy’s Foster has enjoyed success in AP calculus, world history, literature and macroeconomics while holding a 95.8 cumulative grade point average. Beyond the classroom, Foster is a member of the Girl Scouts and enjoys extensive community service work. She helped create and donate over 700 masks during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, and also made and distributed 150 mastectomy pouches. She also helps with care packages for elderly residents and volunteers with the Hope House. 

Like her schoolmate, Curry also enjoys a deep resume of volunteer and charitable acts. With her 93.0 cumulative GPA, she’s got AP computer science and statistics classes under her belt, along with honors Latin I and II. She’s involved in FBLA and works at Kroger, enjoys babysitting in her spare time and volunteers extensively as a team leader in Vacation Bible School, and the crochet club at her church. 

She’s been accepted to Mercer University, Augusta University, Georgia State, Agnes Scott College and Kennesaw State and wants to major In atmospheric science with an aim to become a climatologist. 

Each NCSS school will hold its graduation ceremonies at Sharp Stadium this coming week, with Alcovy’s on Wednesday May 24, Newton’s on Thursday May 25 and Eastside’s on Friday May 26. Each graduation ceremony will begin at 8 p.m.