Gwinnett County Public Schools May 2018 Celebrating CLASS of 2018 “Live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever.” – Mahatma Gandhi This publication captures a snapshot of the Class of 2018, with photos, facts, and just a few of the scholarships and awards garnered by members of this outstanding group of students. We know that many, many more of our students earned prestigious honors and scholarships that are not part of this publication. And we estimate that listing just the names of all of our graduates would take 84 pages! Congratulations to all of the members of the Class of 2018. We are so very proud of you! Table of Contents A Salute to Our Seniors 1 National, State, and Local Scholarships 9 Celebrating the Class of 2018 2 Other Special Honors 14 Valedictorians and Salutatorians 6 Graduation Schedule inside back cover Front cover: This Brookwood senior dreams big. A SALUTE TO OUR SENIORS If anyone is counting, our graduating seniors are wrapping up their K–12 academic careers with more than 15,200 hours of teach- ing and learning. (That’s 6.5 hours for 180 days for 13 years for those doing the math at home.) After all that hard work, we’re not surprised that this largest-ever class of more than 12,600 on-track graduates is ready to cross the stage to accept their diploma and turn their tassels. Graduation ceremonies for the district’s 22 diploma-granting high schools started with Phoenix HS on May 21 and wrap up on May 26 with Mountain View HS. College, careers, military service, and travel are on the horizon for our graduates. In the fall, most seniors— 84%— are headed to universities, colleges, and postsecondary schools in Georgia and around the country, with nearly 19% of college-bound gradu- ates offered at least one scholarship. Most students (84%) will attend school in Georgia, with more than 86% enrolling in a four-year college or university and the balance attending a two-year college or technical college. Among the students heading out of state, 53 will matriculate at one of the eight prestigious Ivy League schools. We have nearly 700 students attending one of the top 50 schools in the country (based on U.S. News & World Report ranking). As of April 2018, our graduates have been offered close to $207.2 million in academic, athletic, and military scholarships, an in- crease of nearly $25 million over the previous year. Academic achievement earned offers ofmore than $106.5 million, including large, multi-year scholarships such as two recipients of Cooke College Scholarships, six Posse Scholars, and nine Gates Scholars. What’s significant is the number and amount of scholarships that were not yet announced when senior information was compiled in April, including HOPE awards (typically, about a third of graduates), some National Merit Scholars, and the full-ride scholar- ships awarded to GCPS’ 22 QuestBridge National College Match Scholarship recipients. Student athletes earned more than $93 million in athletic scholarships, an increase of $10 million over 2017. The nation’s five military service academies— Air Force, Army, Navy, Coast Guard, and Merchant Marine— offered appoint- ments to 19 young leaders, representing more than $7.6 million in scholarships. Ten high schools had one or more appointments. A total of 435 seniors will serve their country through military service after graduation. About 1,100 students will enter the workforce after high school, many armed with credentials and certificates earned through our career and technical education programs and sought after by local employers. Students graduating from the district’s Acad- emy high schools— Berkmar, Central Gwinnett, Discovery, Lanier, Meadowcreek, Shiloh, and South Gwinnett— complete high school with valuable exposure to college majors of interest and experience in potential careers. Another 500+ seniors have other post-gradua- tion plans— from “gap year” travel to mission work. A record number of seniors are graduating with a grade percent average of 90 or better. Among our 3,246 Honor Graduates are each school’s highest ranking students— the valedictorian (1st in class) and the salutatorian (2nd in class). More than half of Gwinnett seniors— 7,100— took on the challenge and rigor of college-level Advanced Placement (AP) or International Bac- calaureate (IB) courses during high school. And here’s another record, 1,231 seniors participated in the state’s dual-enrollment program, earning both high school and college credit. Congratulations on this exciting milestone! We’re can’t wait to see what our graduating seniors accomplish in the years ahead. We wish the very best for the Class of 2018 as you head out into a future filled with Promise! The Shiloh Class of 2018 celebrates Senior Day. 1 Celebrating the Class of 2018 Fun facts, figures and photos from our graduating seniors A Collins Hill senior is one of three U.S. 69% of all graduating Presidential Falcons took one or scholars from more AP course during Georgia. high school. Central Gwinnett seniors Fred and Wilma celebrate Character Day. With $7.4 million in offers, Central Gwinnett student- athletes garnered the third largest amount of athletic scholarship offers in GCPS. North Gwinnett graduates were offered $12.4 million in academic scholarships, the most of any Gwinnett high school. North Gwinnett seniors turn back time on Decades Day. 2 Archer students show off their college destinations. Discovery seniors, forward and backward. Four of every five seniors at Discovery plan to pursue 85% of Archer postsecondary studies. graduates are headed to a public college Parkview has two seniors with perfect or university. attendance (K–12) and another 20 students with perfect attendance in HS. Brookwood seniors were offered more than $33.5 million in scholarships, the most in GCPS, with nearly a quarter of grads receiving at least one scholarship offer. Brookwood seniors Parkview seniors salute are equipped for Career Day. their Dads on Holiday Day. 3 Lanier seniors relive their younger days. A Norcross A quarter of Norcross Mathlete grads posted high school collects GPAs of 90 or higher, cap and earning the designation gown for of Honor Graduate. graduation on Mathlete and Athlete Day. 35 Lanier seniors attended The vast majority— college full-time during their 94.3%— of Berkmar senior year, earning both college HS grads with college and high school credit through plans will pursue dual enrollment. postsecondary studies in Georgia after graduation, with three-quarters headed to a four-year college or university. More than 40 students will graduate in May, thanks to GOC’s Graduate Gwinnett program. The program offers individualized online learning, and face-to-face support as needed, for students who might not otherwise be able to complete their high school education due to family responsibilities, illness, or work. With this year’s class, the program has graduated more than 200 students. Forty South Gwinnett seniors have made a commitment to military service after graduation, including members of the school’s award-winning Army JROTC unit. Sixty-five graduates of Peachtree Ridge are headed Online Campus Peachtree Ridge seniors on to Top 50 colleges and celebrates Woods or Wall Street Day. universities in the fall. December grads. 4 Every GSMST senior took AP classes during high school. Grayson seniors Nearly 150 graduating were offered $2.4 Mustangs already have million in military employment plans after scholarships, graduation, some graduating with six students with certifications and accepted to Meadowcreek experience through work- one of the seniors decide based learning opportunities Six out of every 10 country’s five where “toga” and the school’s career- Phoenix graduates military service after graduation. focused academies. with college plans will With more than continue their education academies. 900 potential at a two-year or technical graduates, Mill college, many building on Creek boasts career-focused courses GCPS’ largest taken in high school. graduating class. Nearly 87% of graduating Wildcats are enrolling in college after graduation, with 80% headed to four-year institutions and 20% matriculating at two-year and technical colleges. Duluth seniors Mill Creek seniors on Senior Citizen Day. register to vote. 5 2018 Valedictorians and Salutatorians Archer High School Berkmar High School Photo not available. Lois Williams Dennis Rodney Afsha B. Hossain Du Kieu Dang Valedictorian Crawford III Valedictorian Salutatorian Salutatorian Brookwood High School Central Gwinnett High School Brian Cho Ruby Lee Andy Chea Devinne Moses Valedictorian Salutatorian Valedictorian Salutatorian Collins Hill High School Dacula High School Jena Jibreen Michal Szurek William Braxton Maria-Isabelle V. Valedictorian Salutatorian Butcher Dittamo Valedictorian Salutatorian Discovery High School Duluth High School Nabid Farvez Kaitlyn Choe Preethi Narayan Jackson Baird Salutatorian Valedictorian Salutatorian Valedictorian 6 2018 Valedictorians and Salutatorians Grayson High School Gwinnett Online Campus Aliza Shivanni Ramdass Melina Maleknia Connor Harris Caldwell Mary Collier Pritchett Valedictorian Salutatorian Valedictorian Salutatorian Gwinnett School of Mathematics, Science, and Technology Lanier High School Iris Galfas Frank Hu Gabrielle Burlison Gabriel Cranor Valedictorian Salutatorian Valedictorian Salutatorian Meadowcreek High School Mill Creek High School Nhi Ngo Ashley Duong Jason Russell Camryn Petit Valedictorian Salutatorian Valedictorian Salutatorian Mountain