State School Superintendent Richard Woods has selected 64 Georgia students - including a Heritage High School student from Conyers - to serve on his 2015 Student Advisory Council.
Emily Howe of Heritage High School was chosen out of a pool of more than 1,000 students who applied to serve on the council. Students were chosen based on the strength of their essay answers, which focused on their ideas for public education and ways their own educational experience could be improved.
"It is essential, as we work to develop child-focused, classroom-centered policies, to hear directly from students," Superintendent Woods said. "These students feel the impact of our decisions every day and, if we're going to improve their educational experience, we have to bring them to the table."
Throughout the school year, these middle and high school students will meet with Superintendent Woods to discuss the impact of state policies in the classroom. Members of the Student Advisory Council will also discuss other issues related to education, and will serve as the Superintendent's ambassadors to their respective schools.
"It was hard to narrow down the many outstanding applications, but it was refreshing and valuable to read these students' feedback and ideas for the future of our educational system," Superintendent Woods said. I'm thrilled to work with the members of my Student Advisory Council, and I'd like to thank every student who took the time to apply and share his or her thoughts."
Meetings of the Student Advisory Council will be held February 27, March 11 and April 28 at the Georgia Department of Education's offices in Atlanta.
High School Members (Name, School District, School):
Mary Baxter, Charlton, Charlton County High School
Mitch Baxter, Charlton, Charlton County High School
William Lawing, Thomas, Thomas County Central High School
Casey Smith, Columbia, Lakeside High School
Maritza Sanchez, Richmond, A.R. Johnson High School
Stephanie Sanchez, Putnam, Putnam County High School
Harley Obsitnik, Fayette, McIntosh High School
Logan House, Newton, Newton College and Career Academy
Elizabeth Veal, Troup, Troup County Comprhensive High
Anastasia Dunn, Carroll, Central High School
Alex Chastain, Fannin, Fannin County High School
Tyler Wheat, Fannin, Fannin Comprehensive High School
Stephen Jordan, Pickens, Pickens High School
Temi Adekunie, Cherokee, River Ridge High School
William Webb, Oconee, North Oconee High School
JoAnn Graves, Gordon, Sonoraville High School
Alexander Nichols, Douglas, Lithia Springs Comprehensive High
Jack Crawford, Lowndes, Lowndes High School
Becca Velasquez, Effingham, Effingham County High School
Quimyre Rolland, Dodge, Dodge County High School
Caleb Theriault, Muscogee, Columbus High School
Michael Smith, Muscogee, Columbus High School
Michaela Woody, Bibb ,Central High School
William Crouch, Houston, Northside High School
Kerrigan Ellington, Barrow, Apalachee High School
Allison Fine, Cobb, Lassiter High School
Justin Daniel, Oconee, North Oconee High School
Sam Hay, Newton, Eastside High School
Harris Browning, Lowndes, Lowndes High School
Emily Howe, Rockdale, Heritage High School
Harley Fuller, Paulding, South Paulding High School
Andrew Moxley, Paulding, North Paulding High School
Kindle Anderson, Fulton, Alpharetta High School
Middle School Members(Name, School District, School):
Danielle Zhanje, Bartow, South Central Middle School
Taylor Carles, Floyd, Pepperell Middle School
Steven Petty, Murray, Bagley Middle School
Garrett Curbow, Heard, Heard County Middle School
Sarah Schlueter, Newton, Newton County Theme School
Joseph Hunter, Fayette, Flat Rock Middle School
Thomas Collingsworth, Richmond, Pine Hill Middle School
Zizi Ohamadike, Lee, Lee County Middle School
Austin Aldridge, Decatur, Bainbridge Middle School
Priya Patel Coffee, Coffee, Middle School
Taylor Justice, Coffee, Coffee Middle School
Alvin Delgado, Oconee, Oconee County Middle School
Joshua Garrison, Gwinnett, Crews Middle School
Marin Lonnee, Oconee, Oconee County Middle School
Benjamin Trofemuk, Bibb, Academy for Classical Education
Phoebe Guidry, Houston, Perry Middle School
Janea'C Clark, Stewart, Stewart Middle School
Julianne Moon, Marion, Marion County Middle School
Kyuana Holmes, Laurens, West Laurens Middle School
Grant Cook, Telfair, Telfair County Middle School
Isabella Martinez, Bryan, Richmond Hill Middle School
Olivia Arneson, Savannah-Chatham, Esther F Garrison Middle School
Elizabeth Ramirez, Bryan, Richmond Hill Middle School
Simone Brock, Lowndes, Pine Grove Middle School
Kaleb Bell, Berrien, Berrien Middle School
CJ Pearson, Columbia, Columbia Middle School
John Riddle, Wayne, Martha Puckett Middle School
Elizabeth Hughes, Cherokee, E.T. Booth Middle School
Katie James, Clinch, Clinch County Middle School
