NewsAdvancementAcademics
Clements named STAR Student, Schmidt STAR Teacher
Mar 11, 2008 12:00 AM
By Tannika King - Faculty
Sarah Clements was named Darlington’s 2008 STAR Student during an assembly Monday, Feb. 25. The presentation was made by day parent Janice Davis and Lisa Smith of the Greater Rome Chamber of Commerce.
“I was very surprised when I found out I was going to receive this award,” said Clements, the daughter of Alice and Frank Clements of Rome. “I have consistently worked hard in every class I have taken at Darlington, and this award recognizes hard work.”
Clements selected Craig Schmidt, chairman of the history department, as her STAR teacher. “At times, I did not feel lucky to be in Mr. Schmidt’s demanding class, but in hindsight, I have realized that I was very fortunate to spend two years in an environment where the teacher truly had a passion for history,” Clements said. “His zealous lectures … made me realize that he cared about history a great deal and wanted to pass along everything he knew to each one of his students; he wanted the class to see history as he saw the past. This perspective was the tool to my success in my history classes. It took a while, but I eventually realized that when Mr. Schmidt challenged our arguments, it was to make us think harder … I hope to one day have as much passion for my career as Mr. Schmidt has for teaching history.”
Clements has a GPA of 98.26 with 11 Honors and 10 AP credits. While at Darlington, she has earned the E.L. Wright Scholastic Award for AP Spanish Literature and the DAR Medal. She has also been named a Presbyterian College Junior Fellow, a Wofford Scholar and an AP Scholar with Distinction. Clements is a member of the Headmaster’s List and has also been involved in National Honor Society, Sociedad Honoraria, Fine Arts Honor Society, Spanish Club, Prom Leadership Committee and varsity cheerleading. She also spent three years working as a manager for Darlington’s athletic teams. Outside of Darlington, Clements has participated in multiple summer seminars, including programs at Savannah College of Art and Design and Yale. She also studies art after school and is a member of First Baptist Church of Rome.
Clements and Schmidt were recognized by Al Hodge, CEO of the Greater Rome Chamber of Commerce and local sponsor of the STAR program, during an Exchange Club luncheon on March 6. Other Rome/Floyd STAR Students and Teachers were also introduced at this time.
The PAGE Student Teacher Achievement Recognition (STAR) program, in its 50th year, is sponsored by the Professional Association of Georgia Educators (PAGE) Foundation, the Georgia Chamber of Commerce and the Georgia Department of Education. Since its inception, the STAR program has honored more than 21,000 students and the teachers they have selected as having had the most influence on their academic achievement. Students are selected on the basis of their SAT scores and class standing/scholastic averages.
“I was very surprised when I found out I was going to receive this award,” said Clements, the daughter of Alice and Frank Clements of Rome. “I have consistently worked hard in every class I have taken at Darlington, and this award recognizes hard work.”
Clements selected Craig Schmidt, chairman of the history department, as her STAR teacher. “At times, I did not feel lucky to be in Mr. Schmidt’s demanding class, but in hindsight, I have realized that I was very fortunate to spend two years in an environment where the teacher truly had a passion for history,” Clements said. “His zealous lectures … made me realize that he cared about history a great deal and wanted to pass along everything he knew to each one of his students; he wanted the class to see history as he saw the past. This perspective was the tool to my success in my history classes. It took a while, but I eventually realized that when Mr. Schmidt challenged our arguments, it was to make us think harder … I hope to one day have as much passion for my career as Mr. Schmidt has for teaching history.”
Clements has a GPA of 98.26 with 11 Honors and 10 AP credits. While at Darlington, she has earned the E.L. Wright Scholastic Award for AP Spanish Literature and the DAR Medal. She has also been named a Presbyterian College Junior Fellow, a Wofford Scholar and an AP Scholar with Distinction. Clements is a member of the Headmaster’s List and has also been involved in National Honor Society, Sociedad Honoraria, Fine Arts Honor Society, Spanish Club, Prom Leadership Committee and varsity cheerleading. She also spent three years working as a manager for Darlington’s athletic teams. Outside of Darlington, Clements has participated in multiple summer seminars, including programs at Savannah College of Art and Design and Yale. She also studies art after school and is a member of First Baptist Church of Rome.
Clements and Schmidt were recognized by Al Hodge, CEO of the Greater Rome Chamber of Commerce and local sponsor of the STAR program, during an Exchange Club luncheon on March 6. Other Rome/Floyd STAR Students and Teachers were also introduced at this time.
The PAGE Student Teacher Achievement Recognition (STAR) program, in its 50th year, is sponsored by the Professional Association of Georgia Educators (PAGE) Foundation, the Georgia Chamber of Commerce and the Georgia Department of Education. Since its inception, the STAR program has honored more than 21,000 students and the teachers they have selected as having had the most influence on their academic achievement. Students are selected on the basis of their SAT scores and class standing/scholastic averages.
