Every spring, the Georgia Charter Schools Association asks teachers, school leaders and the community to nominate outstanding seniors at Georgia’s charter high schools. GCSA is excited to recognize these gifted graduates and wants to share their passions, their ambitions, and how their schools have prepared them for the road ahead.
As part of the campaign, we highlight academic accomplishments, extracurricular involvement, community service, and more! Learn about these amazing students below.
Name: Natalia Celis
School Name: Georgia Cyber Academy
What are the student’s plans after graduation?
Natalia will be attending Georgia Tech, beginning with classes this summer.
Why does this student deserve recognition?
Natalia is Georgia Cyber Academy’s Class of 2023 Valedictorian. She also just received the Amazon Future Engineer Scholarship, which includes $40,000 for tuition, and a guaranteed, paid internship with Amazon. She was also selected to have her poem featured on one of the annual plaques at the MLK World Peace Rose Garden last spring. She was featured on the most recent episode of GCA’s school podcast.
How has attending a Georgia public charter school benefited the student?
Natalia spoke to us about how the flexibility GCA offers its students (especially for those in secondary grades) has benefitted her. She has been able to travel and pursue her extracurricular goals and hobbies while attending GCA. She also spoke about benefitting from both GCA’s academic rigor and the support and encouragement she received from her academic counselor and teachers.
Name: Edmond Chen (2023 Salutatorian)
School Name: Furlow Charter School
What are the student’s plans after graduation?
Edmond will attend the Georgia Institute of Technology.
Why does this student deserve recognition?
Edmond is the Salutatorian and the system STAR student. He also received the highest SAT score in the county.
How has attending a Georgia public charter school benefited the student?
Edmond had unlimited dual enrollment opportunities. He also benefited from individualized attention at Furlow Charter School.
Name: Jacqueline Chen (2023 Valedictorian)
School Name: Furlow Charter School
What are the student’s plans after graduation?
Jacqueline will attend the University of Georgia.
Why does this student deserve recognition?
She is the Valedictorian. At the beginning of the current school year, she was a junior. During the year, she advanced to 12th grade and became valedictorian.
How has attending a Georgia public charter school benefited the student?
She has had the flexibility to accelerate her learning and was given unlimited access to dual enrollment opportunities. Jaqueline also benefited from the Individualized attention at Furlow Charter School.
Name: Hayden Cloud
School: Tapestry Public Charter School
What are Hayden’s plans after graduation?
Hayden hopes to attend Georgia State University, where they are developing programs to support students on the autism spectrum. He wants to continue to work in the arts, and he has an internship this semester with the Shakespeare Tavern.
Why does this student deserve recognition?
Hayden has blossomed in his seven years at Tapestry, from coming in as a shy, introverted sixth grader. He has learned to be a powerful advocate for himself and others. The way Hayden has come to understand himself in the world with grace and confidence has taught our community just how much someone can accomplish.
“He is a wonderful student,” says Hayden’s teacher. “He’s passionate about both music and theatre and has incredible talent. Hayden is a wonderful kid who is friendly to both students and teachers. Hayden has a passion for social justice and a strong sense of right and wrong. He always advocates for those who might not have a voice.”
How has attending a Georgia public charter school benefited the student?
Tapestry Public Charter School is an inclusive learning environment where neurotypical and neurodiverse students learn alongside each other. In a traditional environment, Hayden would have been excluded, and he would not have been able to engage in the arts to the degree he has here at Tapestry. The arts are his primary avenue for self-expression, and he has given back to the school with his passion, talent, and performances in ways that would not have been possible were he not at our charter school.
Name: Olivia Deese
School Name: Academy for Classical Education
What are the student’s plans after graduation?
Olivia plans to major in Ocean Science at the University of Georgia and pursue a career as a Marine Biologist.
Why does this student deserve recognition?
Olivia is an asset to ACE! She has not only been very successful academically, but she is also a National Honor Society and Beta Club member, was a member of the Shooting Sports Club, and has also been a part of the Cheerleading squad as well as the Varsity Volleyball and Tennis teams. In addition, she is recognized as a leader among her peers.
How has attending a Georgia public charter school benefited the student?
“Attending a Georgia public charter school has given me the opportunity to strive for excellence in both my academics and social life at my school,” says Olivia. “It has helped to give me a safe learning environment that focuses on my education above everything else. With this, I have gained the knowledge of balancing my workload with my regular life and have created habits that will benefit me in the future for college.”
Name: Jairus Hunter
School Name: Fulton Leadership Academy
What are the student’s plans after graduation?
Jairus plans to attend Morehouse college to pursue a career as an athletic trainer.
Why does this student deserve recognition?
Jairus deserves recognition because he has consistently demonstrated fortitude, leadership and achievement. He has been a scholar athlete and a member of the National Honor and National English Honor Society. Jairus has also helped raise money through the Maceo’s Kids foundation and has completed an internship with System 5 Electronics.
How has attending a Georgia public charter school benefited the student?
Jairus has benefitted from the small class sizes, individualized instruction and the all male environment has helped him maintain his focus.
Name: Jaydin Lewis (2023 Valedictorian)
School Name: Statesboro STEAM Academy
What are the student’s plans after graduation?
Jaydin plans on attending Ogeechee Technical College after graduation.
Why does this student deserve recognition?
Jaydin has been a huge asset to the school and its community. Jaydin is a team player and has been a positive representative of Statesboro STEAM Academy.
How has attending a Georgia public charter school benefited the student?
She has been a student at Statesboro STEAM Academy since middle school and has built a lot of positive relationships with her peers and teachers. She has benefited from the positive school environment and the support of her teachers. Jaydin feels that she can go to her teachers about anything at all. She says that she will miss her fellow students and teachers after graduation.
Name: Nidhi Patel
School Name: Furlow Charter School
What are the student’s plans after graduation?
Nidhi plans to attend August University.
Why does this student deserve recognition?
Nidhi earned the International Skills Diploma Seal; she was one of only a few charter school students to earn this award.
How has attending a Georgia public charter school benefited the student?
She has benefited from world language and culture opportunities as well as unlimited access to dual enrollment courses.
Name: Landon Purcell (2023 Salutatorian)
School Name: Statesboro STEAM Academy
What are the student’s plans after graduation?
Landon plans to go to Georgia Southern and pursue a degree in computer science.
Why does this student deserve recognition?
Landon is a great student with a big heart and a tremendous work ethic. He values his school community and only wants the best for his fellow student graduates.
How has attending a Georgia public charter school benefited the student?
The environment at Statesboro STEAM Academy is a lot less stressful and it’s a lot easier for our students to successfully get their work done at their own pace. Landon also feels he benefits from the smaller class sizes and more one on one with his teachers.
Name: Elizabeth Richter (2023 Valedictorian)
School: Atlanta Classical Academy
Awards: Valedictorian, Georgia Intellectual Property Alliance Young Inventors Award, National Merit Scholar, Girl Scout Gold Award, National Latin Exam Highest Honors Award
Clubs: Airplane and Model Rocketry Club (co-president), Girl Talk (co-president), Student Government, Grilling Club, Girls on the Run Coach
Sports: Varsity Cross Country and Basketball
What is something Elizabeth will miss at ACA:
“Nearly every teacher I’ve had at ACA has had a strong impact on my life, and it would be impossible for me to put into words how grateful I am for them,” says Elizabeth. “One teacher, in particular, would be Mr. Bettencourt (history teacher). His quiet encouragement and thoughtful advice have helped me in so many situations. I really enjoy all the conversations I have with him about existentialism, faith, and leading a meaningful life. He has inspired me to live authentically and pursue goodness and truth.”
Name: Elon Sheffield
School Name: Georgia Cyber Academy
What are the student’s plans after graduation?
She is about to attend Jackson State University as a freshman this fall.
Why does this student deserve recognition?
Elon received a soccer scholarship from JSU to play on the women’s team. Since GCA, a virtual school, does not currently have physical sports teams, Elon put forth the effort to seek out and play for soccer clubs to gain the experience and accolades she received, all while maintaining her grades here at GCA. Elon was recently featured on GCA’s monthly school podcast.
How has attending a Georgia public charter school benefited the student?
Elon spoke about the benefits of flexibility that have come from attending Georgia Cyber Academy. Since we are a virtual school, she has been able to take her classes anywhere that she can access the internet. This was especially advantageous when she had to travel for her soccer games. She also spoke about benefitting from the varied community and learning activities GCA offers students, such as Community Day and our very own Mock Trial, in which she played the role of the trial judge.
Name: Elizabeth Stinespring (2023 Salutatorian)
School: Atlanta Classical Academy
Fine Arts: Cinderella Musical (2019; ensemble), The Addams Family Musical (2020; ensemble), Little Women Musical (2023; Aunt March), Choir grades (2020 – 2023), Honors Chorus (grades 2019, 2023), Coffeehouse (2023)
Awards: Student of The Quarter (2nd quarter, 2021-2022), Young Inventors’ Award (free legal assistance with obtaining a patent) and Top 10 at Georgia Science and Engineering Fair (2021), Patent Pending on Engineering Project (2022, 2023), Salutatorian.
Clubs: Key Club (president, 2023); Girl Talk (co-president grades 2022, 2023), Yearbook (editor; 2023), HOSA (2021; vice president – 2022), Banned Books Club (2023), Grill Club (grades 2022, 2023)
Sports: Cross Country (2020, 2021 grade), Varsity Basketball (2020 – 2023)
What is something Elizabeth will miss at ACA:
“Take advantage of all the opportunities that ACA has to offer each and every student,” says Elizabeth. “You will not be disappointed if you do.”
