Board of Education Dr. Eugene P. ‘Gene’ Walker, Chair Mr. Thomas E. Bowen, Vice Chair Ms. Sarah Copelin-Wood Mr. Jesse ‘Jay’ Cunningham, Jr. Ms. Donna G. Edler Ms. Nancy Jester Mr. Donald E. ‘Don’ McChesney Dr. Pamela A. Speaks 1701 Mountain Industrial Boulevard Mr. H. Paul Womack, Jr. Stone Mountain, GA 30083-1027 678-676-1200 Superintendent Dr. Cheryl L. H. Atkinson

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DCSD Nominates 143 Students for Governor’s Honors Program The Governor’s Honor Program serves gifted and talented juniors and seniors

Dec. 4, 2012 – The DeKalb County School District (DCSD) has nominated 143 students to the state-level interviews for the Governor’s Honors Program.

The Governor’s Honors Program (GHP) is a residential summer program for gifted and talented high school juniors and seniors. A function of the Georgia Department of Education, it takes place on the campus of Valdosta State University. The 2013 program will be the 50th summer, making it the longest continually running program of its kind in the nation.

More than 2,900 students from across the state will be interviewed and auditioned over three weekends in January and February, and from those nominees up to 690 finalists will be chosen to participate in the 2013 program. Since the program is fully funded by the Georgia General Assembly, there is no charge for students to attend.

During the four weeks of the program, students spend the morning in their major area of nomination, exploring topics not usually found in the regular high school classroom. During the afternoons, students choose one of the other areas in which to study. The curriculum in all the areas is challenging and engaging. Evenings are filled with seminars, activities, concerts, and performances.

“GHP is such a competitive program that even being nominated is an accomplishment,” said Dale Lyles, director of the Governor’s Honors Program. “I congratulate the students of DeKalb County School District and look forward to meeting them and their parents at the interviews.” He added that many if not most of GHP’s past participants regard it as one of the most life- changing events in their lives.

DCSD’s nominees for the 2013 Georgia Governor’s Honors Program are:

First Name Last Name High School GHP Major Ariana Cherry Arabia Mountain High School Agriscience/Environmental Science Ellis Walton Arabia Mountain High School Agriscience/Environmental Science Amera Dixon Arabia Mountain High School Chemistry Brandon Long Arabia Mountain High School Mathematics Kayla Turner Arabia Mountain High School Mathematics

Jacob Jordan Chamblee Charter High School Biology Lizaremi Luna-Sousa Chamblee Charter High School Biology Mikello Bonus Chamblee Charter High School Chemistry Darcy Linde Chamblee Charter High School Communicative Arts Sounak Das Chamblee Charter High School German Kunal Goel Chamblee Charter High School German Solina Jean-Louis Chamblee Charter High School German Robert Marvil Chamblee Charter High School German Brandon Nguyen Chamblee Charter High School German Swapnil Agrawal Chamblee Charter High School Mathematics Wesley Cheung Chamblee Charter High School Mathematics Klest Sula Chamblee Charter High School Mathematics Galen Xiang Chamblee Charter High School Music/Piano Chao Zhang Chamblee Charter High School Physics Kavi Pandian Chamblee Charter High School Social Studies Muhammad Hasan Chamblee Charter High School Technology Victoria Corbett Chamblee Charter High School Visual Arts Hannah Kim Chamblee Charter High School Visual Arts Tuscany Simmons Chamblee Charter High School Visual Arts Paul Taylor Chamblee Charter High School Visual Arts

Phat Chang Clarkston High School Chemistry

Sara Pascall Columbia High School Music/Woodwinds (Clarinet) Tatiana Wright Columbia High School Music/Woodwinds (Flute)

Cristian Padilla Social Studies

Noah Chen DeKalb School of the Arts Communicative Arts Lorne Feeser DeKalb School of the Arts Communicative Arts Darya Mack DeKalb School of the Arts Communicative Arts Rachelle Clark DeKalb School of the Arts Dance Michelle Dennis DeKalb School of the Arts Dance Zuri Ford DeKalb School of the Arts Dance Colbie Zeno DeKalb School of the Arts Dance Paul Duhe' III DeKalb School of the Arts Music/Jazz (Jazz Saxophone) Naeemah Ali DeKalb School of the Arts Music/Piano Tiye Stephens DeKalb School of the Arts Music/Piano Sophie Heeden DeKalb School of the Arts Music/Strings (Viola) Melana Byars DeKalb School of the Arts Music/Strings (Violin) Sydney Cash DeKalb School of the Arts Music/Voice (Soprano) Arlena McClenton DeKalb School of the Arts Music/Voice (Soprano) Zoe Robinson DeKalb School of the Arts Music/Voice (Soprano) Natalie Spruell DeKalb School of the Arts Music/Voice (Soprano) Lyric Stephen DeKalb School of the Arts Music/Voice (Soprano) Bailey Hunt DeKalb School of the Arts Music/Woodwinds (Flute) Eliza Guinn DeKalb School of the Arts Social Studies Zoe Nuhfer DeKalb School of the Arts Social Studies First Name Last Name High School GHP Major Emma Rary DeKalb School of the Arts Social Studies Katherine Sudakova DeKalb School of the Arts Social Studies

“Victory in Every Classroom” www.dekalb.k12.ga.us Ian Wakeman DeKalb School of the Arts Social Studies Mahdi Clark DeKalb School of the Arts Theatre Performance Emily Johnston DeKalb School of the Arts Theatre Performance Elizabeth Robisch DeKalb School of the Arts Theatre Performance Talecia Cistrunk DeKalb School of the Arts Visual Arts Lia Davis DeKalb School of the Arts Visual Arts Kayla Favors DeKalb School of the Arts Visual Arts Beatriz Mora DeKalb School of the Arts Visual Arts

Nima Shogi Ghalehshahi Biology Craig Hearn Druid Hills High School Communicative Arts Ian Hinze Druid Hills High School Communicative Arts Adriano Iqbal Druid Hills High School Communicative Arts Connor Spruell Druid Hills High School Communicative Arts Meera White Druid Hills High School Communicative Arts Anna Bergstrom Druid Hills High School French Abishkar Chhetri Druid Hills High School Mathematics Arthur Foley Druid Hills High School Mathematics Linh Phan Druid Hills High School Mathematics Ali Zain ul Abideen Druid Hills High School Mathematics Claire Lenz Druid Hills High School Music/Piano Maranatha Genet Druid Hills High School Social Studies Rebecca Grieco Druid Hills High School Social Studies Ella Henry Druid Hills High School Social Studies Jacob Pierce Druid Hills High School Social Studies Michael Torbott Druid Hills High School Spanish Savannah Wall Druid Hills High School Theatre Design Geoffrey Solomon Druid Hills High School Theatre Performance Reese Blutstein Druid Hills High School Visual Arts Ethan Huggins Druid Hills High School Visual Arts Britaney Kemp Druid Hills High School Visual Arts Jin Kim Druid Hills High School Visual Arts Emma Niceler Druid Hills High School Visual Arts Claire Rieder Druid Hills High School Visual Arts

Noah Goldstein Biology Jeanne Davis Dunwoody High School Communicative Arts Kristen Ingram Dunwoody High School Communicative Arts Saakya Peechara Dunwoody High School Communicative Arts Sindy Chavez Dunwoody High School French Elizabeth Cleary Dunwoody High School German Zochary Bloomberg Dunwoody High School Mathematics Thomas Dellaert Dunwoody High School Mathematics Mallory Harris Dunwoody High School Mathematics Mary Elizabeth Lee Dunwoody High School Mathematics Aaron Martin Dunwoody High School Mathematics Joseph Noto Dunwoody High School Mathematics Jacky Zhu Dunwoody High School Mathematics Nate Galerstein Dunwoody High School Music/Brass (Euphonium/Baritone) Joshua Klein Dunwoody High School Music/Brass (Trumpet) Josh Galerstein Dunwoody High School Music/Brass (Tuba) Sarah Montgomery Dunwoody High School Music/Woodwinds (Clarinet) First Name Last Name High School GHP Major Kendall Lowery Dunwoody High School Social Studies Kelly Carter Dunwoody High School Spanish Bridget Eisele Dunwoody High School Spanish Robin Spratling Dunwoody High School Spanish

“Victory in Every Classroom” www.dekalb.k12.ga.us

Chris Eriksen Lakeside High School Agriscience/Environmental Science Grace McKenna Lakeside High School Biology Katharine Morford Lakeside High School Biology Aneesa Rupasingha Lakeside High School Biology Samuel Pennel Lakeside High School Chemistry Holly Brooks Lakeside High School Communicative Arts Aisha Rupasingha Lakeside High School Communicative Arts John James Lakeside High School Executive Management Emma Heneine Lakeside High School French Phoebe Warren Lakeside High School French Lydia Podowitz Lakeside High School German Andrew Teachout Lakeside High School Latin Allyn Waller Lakeside High School Latin Marjorie Floyd Lakeside High School Mathematics Alisha Stupp Lakeside High School Mathematics Jonathon Hollis Lakeside High School Music/Jazz (Jazz Trumpet) Bernadette Bridges Lakeside High School Music/Voice (Alto) Alexis Letourneau Lakeside High School Music/Woodwinds (Flute) Sang-Chan Kim Lakeside High School Physics Zack Shepherd Lakeside High School Social Studies Priya Patel Lakeside High School Spanish Kanak Parmar Lakeside High School Technology

Nicolas Banks Martin L. King, Jr., High School Executive Management Isaiah Mack Martin L. King, Jr., High School Executive Management Marcco Smith II Martin L. King, Jr., High School Physics

Erika Johnson Miller Grove High School Music/Voice (Soprano) Tramauh Caraballo Miller Grove High School Visual Arts

Cle'sean Harrison Mathematics Dewayne Shelton Redan High School Music/Percussion Cori Mbonzo Redan High School Spanish

Renee Johnson Southwest DeKalb High School Visual Arts

Alyssa Thomas Music/Brass (French Horn) Isaiah Hill Stephenson High School Music/Jazz (Jazz Piano) Janay Charles Stephenson High School Visual Arts Manuel Renteria Stephenson High School Visual Arts

Genghis McCrary Technology

Marleese Mills Latin Phong Le Tucker High School Mathematics

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“Victory in Every Classroom” www.dekalb.k12.ga.us