Congrats to the Class of 2024 Valedictorians and Salutatorians!

Cherokee County School District’s Class of 2024 Valedictorians and Salutatorians: (front row, L-R) i-Grad Virtual Academy Salutatorian Chloe Brezinski and Valedictorian S. Raines, Creekview HS Salutatorian Laura Hand and Valedictorian Kinley Sikes, Etowah HS Salutatorian Bella Postel and Valedictorian Cristina Garcia, River Ridge HS Salutatorian Addy Musser, and Sequoyah HS Salutatorian Zach Howell; (back row, L-R) Cherokee HS Valedictorian Sarah Grace Pfanstiel, Sequoyah HS Valedictorian Anna Louise Panhorst, Woodstock HS Valedictorian Xavier Olsen, River Ridge HS Valedictorian Caleb Lewis, Cherokee HS Salutatorian Caleb Christian, and Woodstock HS Salutatorian Vivian Lawrence

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Etowah HS Student Named to Statewide Student Council

Class of 2025 senior Laika Olwana is one of only 10 high school students statewide selected to serve on the Georgia School Boards Association (GSBA) Youth Advisory Council.

The program allows outstanding Georgia high school students to provide meaningful input to school board members from across the state. The application process opens every March to students statewide.

Council members attend a summer retreat, participate in monthly meetings, and speak on behalf of their fellow students as part of panels at the association’s annual conference. Through their service, students not only improve public schools but also enhance their leadership and public speaking skills.

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River Ridge HS Student Wins First Place in Statewide Art Contest

Class of 2024 graduate Ashley McMath won first place in the Georgia Farm Bureau’s annual art contest, and her artwork will be featured in the organization’s annual calendar.

After winning first place at the school level, McMath advanced to win the Cherokee County Farm Bureau’s contest to earn the opportunity to compete statewide. She is the first CCSD student to earn this honor in 23 years.

McMath was previously honored as the 11th District’s overall winner in the national Congressional Art Competition. Her artwork has been displayed for the past year at the U.S. Capitol. As part of the honor, she received tickets to Washington, D.C., to see her artwork on display and to meet with Congressman Barry Loudermilk, who represents the 11th District.

A student in teacher MaryJo Mulvey’s art classes, McMath will attend the University of North Georgia in the fall to study graphic design.

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E.T. Booth MS Student Earns National PTA Reflections Honor

Cherokee County School District 8th grade student artist Keirthen Titus earned second place in the country for his musical composition entitled "Written" in the National PTA Reflections fine arts contest.

The annual competition offers students of all grades and abilities the opportunity to create original works of art in dance choreography, film production, literature, music composition, photography, and visual arts 2D and 3D. Students can earn recognition at the school, district, state, and national levels. This past school year’s theme was “I am Hopeful Because...”

School-level winners advance to the district competition, with first-, second-, and third-place awards presented. The first- and second-place district winners advance to the state competition, and the top winners then move on to the national contest.

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Cherokee HS Students Earn Honors in National Science Competition

Rising seniors Raphael Aca and Elliana Mathews earned an honorable mention in the prestigious Genes in Space contest.

The national science competition annually invites seventh- through 12th-grade students to develop a real-world proposal for a DNA experiment for space. Nationwide, only 30 students were named semifinalists. Of those 30, only 10 received honorable mention, and only five were named finalists to advance in the competition.

Aca’s and Mathews’ project, “Investigation on irregular growth patterns during fetal development in space,” was praised by judges for its groundbreaking approach to molecular biology in space exploration. Their proposal focused on the effects of cosmic radiation and microgravity on fetal development to gain a greater understanding of the epigenetic regulation of crucial genes like IGF2 and H19, which are pivotal in mammalian fetal growth and development. The research would advance comprehension of reproductive biology in space, laying the groundwork for future exploration and colonization beyond Earth.

Their project advisor was AP and honors biology teacher Lori Pangburn, their teacher for advanced genetics/DNA research this past school year.

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Indian Knoll ES Students Conduct Successful Fundraiser

Fifth graders Sadie Schaefer and Annabelle Watkins were compelled to make a difference in their community. In the spring, they made a formal fundraising presentation for their principal, Kim Cerasoli. Their idea to sell sentence strips for $1 and form a kindness chain perfectly exemplified the school’s “Kindness Counts” motto.

For one week in May, these hardworking students provided their classmates with strips of paper and the means to write out a compliment. After 530 kindness grams were sold and created, Schaefer and Watkins created a work of “heart” outside the cafeteria — a kindness chain. Good Neighbor Shelter was excited to receive the generous $530 donation and later provided the girls with a tour and an explanation of how their facility functions. These young ladies will now actively volunteer to make a difference in the lives of others.

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Creekview HS Grads Win National Merit College-Awarded Scholarships

Class of 2024 graduates Peter Greenwell and Kinley Sikes have been named National Merit University of Georgia Scholarship winners. Both plan to pursue careers in the medical field. Scholarship winners are selected by awarding groups through a review of academic records and college entrance exam scores, leadership and service in their schools and communities, and personal essays and letters of recommendation.

Only 15,000 of the nation’s top graduating seniors are named National Merit Finalists becoming eligible for the 2,900 National Merit Scholarships financed by U.S. universities and colleges. The scholarships range from $500 to $2,000 annually for up to four years of undergraduate study.

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Cherokee HS Student Earns Statewide Positive Athlete Georgia Honor

Class of 2024 graduating senior Jeffrey Ambrocio earned Positive Athlete Georgia Boys Soccer Player of the Year Award from the nonprofit organization, which promotes the benefits of positivity to young athletes around the world.

Each year, more than 6,800 high school students are nominated as the “most positive” athletes among their peers by coaches, principals, athletic directors, teachers, and parents. Awards are presented for each sport at the regional level, with regional winners advancing to state-level competition. Only one student is named the statewide winner for each sport.

In addition to demonstrating excellence in their sport, Positive Athletes must show these characteristics: optimistic attitude, teammate encouragement, servant leadership, heart for others, ability to admit imperfections, giving 100% all the time, and realizing the team is more important than the individual.

A two-year letterman and a four-year Cherokee HS soccer player, Ambrocio supported the school’s Strive for 23 program and served on the 2023 and 2024 Leadership Councils. Additionally, he has been recognized by the Building Fires community organization for his service, academic, and athletic excellence.

A first-generation graduate, Ambrocio currently works as a manager for Walmart and is preparing for a future district manager role with the company.