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STAR Students and Teachers honored; East Coweta’s Helfers is Coweta’s 2017 STAR Student

(Last Updated On: December 21, 2017)
East Coweta High School student Emma Helfers was named the 2017 Coweta County STAR student on Friday, at the annual STAR program hosted by the Newnan Rotary Club. Helfers, above right, chose East Coweta Biology teacher Chris Sewell as her STAR Teacher.

East Coweta High School STAR Student Emma Helfers was named as Coweta County’s 2017 STAR Student on Friday.

Helfers appeared with her chosen STAR Teacher Chris Sewell at the Newnan Rotary Club’s annual STAR program, held Friday at the Newnan Country Club. STAR Students from East Coweta High School, the Heritage School, Newnan High School, Northgate High School, and Trinity Christian School were all honored at the event, along with their chosen STAR Teachers, parents and school representatives.

The Newnan Rotary Club serves as the local sponsor for the statewide STAR program, which recognizes top-achieving high school students each year. The students’ STAR Teachers introduced their students at the Friday program, and were joined by their parents, principals or school heads and other school representatives.

This year’s STAR Students and Teachers from Coweta County’s five participating schools were:

East Coweta High School STAR Student Emma Marie Helfers and STAR Teacher Chris Sewell (AP Biology teacher, East Coweta High School).
The Heritage School STAR Student Harper Thomas Minor and STAR Teacher Brooke Martin (AP English Language teacher, the Heritage School).
Newnan High School STAR Student Stephanie Elizabeth Cannon and STAR Teacher Dr. Clay Hildebrand (Math teacher, Smokey Road Middle School).
Northgate High School STAR Student Bo Patrick Heatherman and STAR Teacher Elizabeth Lotter (Spanish teacher, Northgate High).
Trinity Christian School STAR Student Joshua Hess and STAR Teacher Jennifer Rinkenberger (AP Calculus teacher, Trinity Christian School).

The 2017 Student Teacher Achievement Recognition (STAR) program was held by the Newnan Rotary Club on Friday, honoring top students from five Coweta County high schools and the teachers who most inspired them during their academic career. The students and teachers honored were, left to right, East Coweta High School STAR Student Emma Marie Helfers and STAR Teacher Chris Sewell, The Heritage School STAR Student Harper Thomas Minor and STAR Teacher Brooke Martin, Newnan High School STAR Student Stephanie Elizabeth Cannon and STAR Teacher Dr. Clay Hildebrand, Northgate High School STAR Student Bo Patrick Heatherman and STAR Teacher Elizabeth Lotter, and Trinity Christian School STAR Student Joshua Hess and STAR Teacher Jennifer Rinkenberger.

STAR Teacher Chris Sewell described Helfers as an engaged and sincere student who is a member of the National Honors Society and Beta Club and other honors reflecting her academic excellence. “She challenges everyone around her to be their best,” he said. Helfers, in turn, said that her STAR teacher had inspired her to pursue an education and career in medicine after graduation, and that she is considering pediatrics or endocrinology.

Helfers will serve as Coweta’s representative for region 3B STAR Student honors in Griffin on March 12.

The Student Teacher Achievement Recognition (STAR) Program recognizes top academic students in Georgia high schools each year at the school, county, regional and state levels. To be named STAR, senior class students must have the highest score in their school in one sitting on the Scholastic Assessment Test (SAT) taken through the November test date of their senior year. They must also be in the top 10 percent or top 10 students of their class based on grade point average.

Left to right are East Coweta High School Counselor Wendy Williams, East Coweta High School Star Teacher Chris Sewell, East Coweta and County County STAR Student Emma Helfers, with her parents Darrin and Ellen Helfers, and East Coweta Principal Steve Allen.

STAR students are asked to honor the educator who most influenced their academic achievement by naming them as their STAR Teacher. All five STAR teachers introduced the Rotary members to their students at Friday’s program, citing their scholarship, high character, and their extracurricular and civic accomplishments.

The STAR Program is organized by the Professional Association of Georgia Educators, Georgia Chamber of Commerce and Georgia Department of Education. The Newnan Rotary Club hosts the local STAR program locally.

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Krystal is a graduate of the University of West Georgia with a bachelor's degree in Mass Communications and a minor in Psychology. She enjoys weightlifting, loves journalism and social media, UWG football, The Walking Dead, hanging out in bookstores, photography, cooking, doing yoga, and watching Falcons football.