Wesleyan Announces STAR Student and STAR Teacher

Wesleyan School is pleased to announce that the Gwinnett Chamber of Commerce has honored Wesleyan senior Andrew (Andy) Yang as Wesleyan School’s STAR student for the 2019-2020 school year. Andy selected Wesleyan Latin teacher Abby Holmes as his STAR teacher.

Beyond his outstanding academic record and membership in numerous honor societies, Andy is president of the Wesleyan Honor Council, captain of the math and science bowl teams, and a four-year member of the cross-country and soccer teams. Andy is also Wesleyan’s nominee for the prestigious Jefferson Scholarship at the University of Virginia. Outside of Wesleyan, Andy was named to the American Math Competition’s Distinguished Honor Roll, and he helped lead his Georgia chapter of the American Regions Mathematics League to a Division B victory in 2019.

When asked why he selected Abby Holmes as his STAR teacher, Andy said, “Mrs. Holmes’ class was always fun, engaging, and full of positive energy. Her encouragement gave me confidence when I needed it and spurred intellectual growth in me. I continue to benefit from the problem-solving skills that Mrs. Holmes taught me through Latin translations.”

Abby Holmes graduated with a double major in English and Latin from the University of Georgia. She began teaching at Wesleyan in 2016 as a faculty fellow before officially joining the teaching team in 2017. She currently teaches a range of Latin classes including Latin I, Latin II, Latin II Honors, Latin III Honors, and Latin IV Honors. In addition, she serves as assistant coach for the 8th grade volleyball team, co-leader of the 11th grade girls Bible study, sponsor of the Garden Club, and an editor for the Wesleyan magazine.

In its 62nd year, the STAR program is sponsored by the Professional Association of Georgia Educators (PAGE) Foundation, the Georgia Chamber of Commerce, and the Georgia Department of Education. To obtain the STAR nomination, high school seniors must have the highest score in a single sitting on the SAT, taken through the November test date of their senior year and be in the top 10% or among the top 10 students in their class based on grade point average. Students and their teachers are honored by receiving special recognition in their communities from more than 165 statewide civic organizations and businesses and will be celebrated at a luncheon sponsored by Partnership Gwinnett on February 7, 2020.

Wesleyan School is a Christian, independent K-12 college preparatory school located in Peachtree Corners, Georgia. At the start of the 2019-2020 school year, Wesleyan enrolled 1,179 students from throughout the metropolitan Atlanta area. To learn more about the school, visit www.wesleyanschool.org.

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