Valdosta, GA – Valdosta North Rotary honored the STAR Students from Valwood at its March 8 club meeting. Valwood Seniors Sara Knighton and Joyce Ro share this year’s designation as STAR Students for having the highest SAT scores and meeting other rigorous STAR criteria including cumulative highest grade point averages throughout high school.
Valdosta North Rotary President Jan Brice presented certificates of recognition and gift certificates to both young ladies. As STAR Students, Knighton selected Peter Allen, her English teacher as STAR Teacher. Ro selected Bobby Stephenson, History/Government teacher as her STAR Teacher.
Valwood Headmaster Darren Pascavage, PhD, said that he was privileged to teach both of these students. “In addition to outdistancing themselves from their peers academically, both Joyce and Sara are interested in learning and understanding how the world works—they have learned to think critically about issues and have informed opinions on many subjects including politics.”
Next fall, Knighton will attend Davidson College in North Carolina and Ro will attend the University of Georgia.
In her senior year alone, Knighton was named an AP Scholar with Distinction, was selected as a Commended Student in the National Merit Scholarship Program for placing in top 5% of over 1.5 million students who took the PSAT, and was awarded the US Congressional Award Gold Medal, which acknowledges youth for initiative, achievement and service, by Georgia Congressman Austin Scott, who came to the school to personally hand Sara the medal.
Knighton is also the founder of a non-profit organization called Book Angels, which helps distribute books to underprivileged children in her home community of Adel, GA. Because of this charity and other service obligations, Sara is a member in Valwood’s 100-hour club, reserved for students who commit at least 100 hours to community service in a given year. She is also involved with the Interact Club, Key Club, Mock Trial, and Model UN at Valwood.
Knighton, who is an active member of the Adel United Methodist Youth Group, is the daughter of James and Ashley Knighton.
Ro has placed on the Valwood Honor Roll in every quarter of her high school career, including making the Headmaster’s List, reserved for students who have a 90% or better in all academic subjects, in every quarter of her sophomore, junior and senior years.
Joyce is a Presbyterian College Academic Achievement Award winner, won the Geometry Academic Award in her freshman year, is a member of the Valwood Math Team, which placed first in the VSU Math Competition earlier this school year. She is a four year member of both the cheerleading team and helps to organize school blood drives for the American Red Cross. In addition, Joyce was inducted into the National Honor Society and selected to be in the Youth Leadership Lowndes Class as a junior. She is also the editor of the Key Club, committee member of the Dance Marathon organization and part of the Interact Club. Finally, Joyce was also elected by her classmates to be the senior class treasurer.
Away from the classroom, Ro dances at the Ballet School and is the assistant dance instructor to the special needs dance class. She is the daughter of Sunkyu and Miyun Ro and has a sister, Rymi, who is a student at Valdosta State University.
