Rockdale’s STAR Students were announced at the Conyers and Rockdale Rotary clubs' annual ceremony Thursday with Rockdale Magnet School student Heeyoon Kim receiving the district STAR Student Award.

The STAR program, which stands for the Student Teacher Achievement Recognition, honors Georgia’s outstanding high school seniors and the teachers who have been most instrumental in their academic development. Sponsored by the Conyers Rotary Club, Rockdale Rotary Club and Bank of North Georgia, the STAR banquet recognized four students selected from each RCPS high school based upon their SAT scores and GPA. 

District Winner Heeyoon Kim chose Magnet math teacher Dr. Chuck Garner as her STAR teacher. Kim is planning to become a medical researcher or a doctor and has applied to 14 schools, including Harvard, MIT and Georgia Tech, and received 11 acceptances but has not yet decided on a college.

Heritage High School STAR student Megan Searles will be attending Brigham Young University to study physics. She chose literature professor Julie Kimble as her STAR teacher for fostering her love of reading.

Salem High School STAR Student Candice Allisse Biamby is headed to the University of California at Berkley in the fall to study computer science. Her STAR teacher is English teacher Chris Mays, who Biamby said always told her to believe in herself. 

Rockdale County High School STAR student Loren Marie Stokes has applied to five colleges and plans to use her love of ministry and missions work to earn a degree in English or international relations. She said her STAR teacher, band director Scott Stanton, has served as a leader and a role model who helped to build her confidence as a drum major in the band.