Marion County High School STAR Students and Teacher
by the RED News Team
This year, Marion County High School boasts not one but TWO STAR students. Congratulations to Will Penoncello and Molly Pollock, as well as to their shared STAR teacher, Mrs. Laurene Owens! Both students have received recognition for high academic achievement and for outstanding performance on the SAT among their peers ranking in the top 10% of the Class of 2022.
Will Penoncello is the son of Jamie and Lisa Penoncello. Throughout his high school years, Will has participated in Scholars Academy and Dual Enrollment taking both Advanced Placement courses and college classes. He is a recipient of UGA Certificate of Merit and a Presbyterian College Fellow. He was named a football all bi-city honorable mention and is a Volunteer mentor at L.K. Moss Elementary School. Due to his winning personality and his academic excellence, he was selected as a Senior Superlative by his teachers. He was honored by his classmates who chose him for these Class Favorite titles: Most Likely to Succeed, Best Smile, and Teachers' Pet. Will plans to attend the University of Georgia to major in
Molly Pollock is the daughter of Curt and Rutchie Pollock. During high school, Molly has participated in Scholars Academy and Dual Enrollment. She is a recipient of the UGA Certificate of Merit and was selected as a Presbyterian College Fellow. Molly’s teachers have chosen her as a Senior Superlative for the Class of 2022, and her classmates named her a Class Favorite in the areas of Most Likely to Succeed, Best All-Around, and Most Likely to Become Famous. Molly served as Co-Captain of the Varsity Football Cheerleading team and has also been a member of the competitive dance team at Performance Dance Center in Columbus for many years. Molly plans to attend Kennesaw State University where she will major in dance.
Both STAR students chose Mrs. Laurene Owens as their 2022 STAR teacher! Mrs. Owens has been teaching since 1973; the last eleven of those years have been at Marion County. Her classes include English 1101, 1102, Dual Enrollment, Yearbook, and the RED News Advisor. She has also served as a Senior Class Sponsor, a member of the graduation committee, a leadership team representative, and the lead teacher for the English department. Mrs. Owens, a National Board Certified teacher, holds a Bachelor's degree from the University of West Florida, a Master’s degree from the University of Alabama, and an Education Specialist’s degree from Troy University. Mrs. Owens and her husband, Clint, reside in Marion County.
The PAGE Student Teacher Achievement Recognition (STAR) program is sponsored, administered, and promoted by the Professional Association of Georgia Educators (PAGE) and the PAGE Foundation. Since its creation, the STAR program has honored nearly 28,500 students and the teachers they have selected as the most influential to their academic achievement. High school Seniors must have the highest score on a single test date on the SAT and be in the top 10 percent or top 10 students of their class based on grade point average to qualify for a STAR nomination.
STAR begins each year in participating Georgia high schools when the STAR Student is named and chooses a STAR Teacher to share in this recognition. The students and their teachers are honored by their schools and receive special recognition in their communities from one of the more than 170 statewide civic organizations and businesses that serve as local sponsors of the STAR program. Students then compete for school system recognition as the top STAR Student, and those winners compete for region honors. Region winners contend for the honor of being named State PAGE STAR Student. STAR Teachers continue with their STAR Students at every level of the program.