The Carroll County Chamber of Commerce hosted the 2016 STAR Student/Teacher Achievement Recognition awards program at the February membership breakfast held at The Burson Center. The local Chamber has co­hosted this program with the Professional Association of Georgia Educators (PAGE) for more than 50 years recognizing the highest achieving high school seniors with the highest SAT scores, and the teacher each student chose as having the most influence in their academic development.

During the STAR ceremony, students from the Carroll County School System, Carrollton City School System and Oak Mountain Academy were recognized. The honorees, their teachers and parents, and school administrators heard from Carroll County School Superintendent Scott Cowart, Carrollton City Schools Superintendent­elect Dr. Mark Albertus, and Oak Mountain Academy Head of School Paula Gillispie.

STAR honorees from the Carroll County School System include Bowdon High School student Emma Lowery and her teacher Carrie Gay; Central High School student Brianna Abernathy and her teacher Caroline Crow; Mt. Zion High School student Ben Sizemore and his teacher Keith Holloway; Temple High School student Monica Collins and her teacher Jessica Bohlen; and Villa Rica High School student Hannah Howard and her teacher Wesley Miller.