Education
Partnership Gwinnett Celebrates Gwinnett County Students and Teachers
Student Teacher Achievement Recognition Reception honors 76 recipients from 32 schools.
On January 26, Partnership Gwinnett hosted the Student Teacher Achievement Recognition Reception, sponsored by the Professional Association of Georgia Educators and PAGE Foundation and presented by Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, at the John C. Maxwell Leadership Center in Duluth.
More than 200 students, teachers and guests attended the annual event that honors the highest-achieving seniors and their most academically influential teachers.
“Gwinnett County boasts some of the best schools in the nation,” said Partnership Gwinnett Economic Development Vice President Andrew Carnes. “We are proud to celebrate and congratulate these talented students who represent our future workforce and the teachers who have made a difference in their lives.”
The presentation recognized 76 recipients from 32 schools, including Buford City Schools, Gwinnett County Public Schools, Greater Atlanta Christian School, Hebron Christian Academy, Killian Hill Christian School, Notre Dame Academy, Providence Christian Academy, Sugar Hill Christian Academy, Wesleyan School.
Honorees include:
Buford City Schools
- Erin Lim and Mr. Brent Leitsch – Buford High School
Gwinnett County Public Schools
- Dean Putnam and Mr. John Jameson – Archer High School
- Samad Ahmed and Mr. Gary Haynes – Berkmar High School
- William Li and Mrs. Mirela Kimbrough – Brookwood High School
- Niheer Patel and Mr. Chris Michael – Brookwood High School
- Farhan Baig and Mrs. Stephanie Timmons – Brookwood High School
- Mariabelle Azemar and Mr. Alan Dills – Central Gwinnett High School
- Sara Amou and Mrs. Danielle Wilcher – Collins Hill High School
- Cooper Brambley and Mr. Robert Winstead – Dacula High School
- Jerusha Titus and Mr. Thomas Curran – Discovery High School
- Mandy Xu and Mr. Jonathan Roy – Duluth High School
- Chikaima Anigbogu and Ms. Lindsey Saa – Grayson High School
- Jackson Lee and Ms. Kristen Brigmond – Gwinnett Online Campus
- May-Jann Wong and Mr. Donny Thurston – Gwinnett School of Mathematics, Science and Technology
- Erika Tay and Mrs. Laura Wood – Lanier High School
- Tracy La and Ms. Theresa Ryan – McClure Health Science High School
- Cristopher Miranda and Mr. Robert Ro – Meadowcreek High School
- Joshua Ha and Mr. Greg Marr – Mill Creek High School
- Evan Grove and Dr. Rick Creed – Mill Creek High School
- Bao Trinh and Dr. Nicki Collins – Mountain View High School
- Jordan Katz and Mr. Corey Fair – Norcross High School
- Sean Zhong and Ms. Michelle Larate – Norcross High School
- Aditi Venkatesh and Ms. Katie Massey – North Gwinnett High School
- Grace Liu and Mr. Jon Aldrich – Parkview High School
- Nathan Chen and Mr. Andrew Wright – Paul Duke STEM High School
- Rohan Pai and Dr. John Mobley – Paul Duke STEM High School
- Katharine Wang and Mr. Michael Crawford – Peachtree Ridge High School
- Phoebe Yoon and Ms. Rhonda V. Perry – Seckinger High School
- Jessica Duong and Mr. Isaac Kwak – Shiloh High School
- Dominique LoBlack and Ms. Natilee Brown-Van – South Gwinnett High School
Private Schools
- John Alsobrook and Dr. Derek Wilson – Greater Atlanta Christian School
- Jackson Rosero and Mr. Samuel Vernhes – Greater Atlanta Christian School
- Peter Lee and Mr. Taylor Kulp – Hebron Christian Academy
- Shalena Lam and Mr. Matthew Lewis – Killian Hill Christian School
- Riddhi Akshara and Mrs. Elena Ouimette – Notre Dame Academy
- Lydia Panek and Mrs. Renee Sargent – Providence Christian Academy
- Benjamin Jones and Mrs. Sherry Wiltshire – Sugar Hill Christian Academy
- RJ Devlin and Mr. Joseph Cooper – Wesleyan School
PAGE Educational Membership Services Representative Laurie Provost also announced the system winners — Erin Lim and Mr. Brent Leitsch from Buford High School and Aditi Venkatesh and Ms. Katie Massey from North Gwinnett High School — who will compete for region honors. Region winners will then compete for state honors.
The PAGE STAR honors the highest-achieving high school seniors and their most academically influential teachers. Students must have the highest score on any single SAT taken through the November test date of their senior year with their SAT scores equal to or higher than the 2022 national average scores on the evidence-based math and reading and writing sections, as well as rank in the top 10% or top 10 students of their class based on their GPA.
Good Samaritan Health Centers of Gwinnett (Good Samaritan Gwinnett) has received state authorization from the Georgia Nonpublic Postsecondary Education Commission (GNPEC) to officially launch Access Academy, a private, certificate-granting, low-cost postsecondary education program targeting students of low-income and/or minority households who aspire to pursue careers in healthcare but may lack the financial means to attend traditional college programs.
Access Academy is designed to meet the needs of students from underserved communities, providing healthcare-specific training at a fraction of the cost, thanks to charitable donations and volunteer-based faculty support.
Access Academy will initially offer a five-month medical assistant certification program. Graduates of the program will be able to enter the workforce without the burden of student loans, directly benefiting their household income and financial well-being.
“We are thrilled to launch Access Academy and open the doors of opportunity for those who need it most,” said Shameka Allen, CEO of Good Samaritan Gwinnett. “Our mission has always been to support underserved communities, and now, with Access Academy, we can extend that impact by helping students earn their medical assistant certificates and get their start in healthcare.”
A history of mentoring and education
Good Samaritan Gwinnett has a rich history of educating undergraduate and graduate students in health sciences. Since 2012, the organization has mentored nearly 450 graduate students pursuing medical and dental professional degrees. The cost of precepting just one midlevel student for an average of 168 hours amounts to $10,038, reflecting the organization’s dedication to training and education.
Greg Lang, chief financial officer of Good Samaritan Gwinnett, spearheaded the efforts to secure state authorization and launch Access Academy.
“It’s incredibly rewarding to see Access Academy come to life after months of planning and preparation,” Lang said. “Access Academy is not just providing training — it’s offering hope, opportunity and the support needed to turn dreams into reality.”
An ongoing mission
The launch of Access Academy is part of Good Samaritan Gwinnett’s ongoing mission to expand its reach and make healthcare more accessible, both by providing direct patient care and by equipping future healthcare professionals with the skills they need to succeed. Since Good Samaritan Gwinnett’s inception in 2005, more than 52,300 patients have entered the clinic more than 300,000 times.
For more information about Access Academy, visit them at goodsamgwinnett.org/access-academy or email Greg Lang at Greg.Lang@goodsamgwinnett.org.
Pinecrest Academy, a private preK3–12 Catholic school serving north metro Atlanta, has once again been named to the College Board’s Advanced Placement® Program (AP®) School Honor Roll, earning Platinum distinction.
The AP® School Honor Roll recognizes schools whose AP programs are delivering results for students while also broadening access. Schools can earn this recognition annually based on criteria that reflect a commitment to increasing college-going culture, providing opportunities for students to earn college credit and maximizing college readiness.
“We are so honored to have received this AP Honor Roll Award, as we strive each year to provide every student with a college preparatory experience, which includes the successful completion of challenging AP courses,” commented Amy Bowman, Pinecrest Academy high school principal. “The Platinum designation from AP speaks to the excellence that our faculty strives for in delivering challenging content that prepares our students for college.”
The numbers
During the 2023-2024 school year, Pinecrest had 89% of seniors taking at least one AP exam during high school, 82% of seniors scoring a three or higher on at least one AP exam and 58% who took five or more AP exams. Twenty-one AP courses were offered, representing 30 sections taught by 12 high school teachers at the school.
“Our Class of 2024 earned a 100% acceptance into the college/university of their choice,” Bowman said. “Since the school’s first graduating class of 2007, Pinecrest’s high school has maintained a 100% graduation rate every year.”
AP Access Award
Pinecrest Academy was also awarded the AP Access Award this year. Schools on the AP School Honor Roll may earn the AP Access Award, which recognizes schools that demonstrate a clear and effective commitment to equitable access to advanced coursework.
“AP represents an opportunity for students to stand out to colleges, earn college credit and placement and potentially boost their grade point averages,” said Trevor Packer, head of the AP program. “The schools have shown that they can expand access to these college-level courses and still drive high performance — they represent the best of our AP program.”
For more information, visit pinecrestacademy.org.
For more about the Advanced Placement® Program, visit ap.collegeboard.org.
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