STAR student, teacher honored at Chamber coffee
BY MARGIE RICHARDS
Madison County High School senior Amber Stephanie Hill was named the school’s STAR student for 2008. Hill chose Joy King, her AP Calculus teacher, as her STAR teacher.
Hill is the daughter of Amy Denman.
The two were honored during the Madison County Chamber of Commerce’s Coffee Hour last week. The coffee was hosted by the county’s mentor program as part of its open house festivities in the historic county courthouse in Danielsville.
This is the 50th year anniversary of the STAR (Student Teacher Achievement Recognition) program in Georgia.
According to the Madison County Chamber of Commerce, STAR was officially started in 1958 by the Georgia Chamber of Commerce to recognize Georgia high school students who demonstrate exceptional academic achievement by scoring highest in their graduating class on the SAT and the teachers, who are chosen by the students, are the ones who have had the greatest influence on each student’s academic success. There have been more than 21,000 students and nearly that many teachers that have been recognized through the program, according to the Chamber.
Hill plans to attend Appalachian State University, where she will pursue an actuarial science degree that will allow her to become an actuary.
She participates in numerous extra-curricular activities at the high school including varsity and club soccer, varsity tennis, varsity cross country, JV basketball and JV volleyball. She has served as captain and MVP of the soccer teams.
She plans to continue playing soccer at Appalachian State. She enjoys coaching young soccer players. Hill also organized the first annual “kick hunger” food drive.
“The accomplishment I am most proud of was being chosen to attend the United Soccer League’s National Olympic Development Program Camp,” she said.
Her dream is travel abroad doing volunteer and missionary work and she also hopes to attend the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.
King and husband Kevin King, have one daughter, 20-month-old, Kendra. King graduated from MCHS in 1989, with honors. She graduated from the University of Georgia in August of 1993 with a bachelor of science degree in mathematics education and began her teaching career at MCHS in 1993. She obtained her masters in education in 1996 and finished her specialist degree in curriculum and instruction from Lincoln Memorial University in 2002. King also teaches mathematics at Athens Technical College two evenings per week.
King said she has known Amber since elementary school and has followed her academic and athletic career.
“I was so excited when I found out that she was going to be in my advanced algebra and trigonometry class,” she said. “When I learned that I was teaching AP calculus this year, I was thrilled to have a second opportunity to teacher Amber during her high school career. She is a dream student.”
King said she has told Amber’s mother numerous times that she would love for her own daughter to mirror herself after Amber.
