STARS

Marion STAR Student and Teacher 2023: Will Howard and Mr. Michael Medders

 

William P. (Will) Howard has been named the 2023 PAGE STAR Student for Marion County High School.  He has selected Michael Medders as his STAR Teacher.

 Will has been awarded many academic accolades:  He was named a Senior Superlative, a University of Georgia Certificate of Merit Recipient, a Presbyterian College Fellow, and a 4-year member of the Scholars Academy.  He has earned numerous Straight A honor roll awards as well as awards for drone programming in the school’s engineering program. He excels in mathematics and engineering and currently participates in both dual enrollment with Georgia Southwestern and the Youth Apprenticeship Program, as well as the tennis team. He was selected “Most Likely to Succeed” by his 12th-grade class peers. Will plans to attend Georgia Southwestern State University before bridging to the University of Georgia or Kennesaw State for a dual degree in Engineering.  He plans to either earn Double Dawg degrees in Engineering and Business or to earn a Bachelor’s degree in Engineering and a Master’s degree in Business. Will is the son of Monty and Bethany Howard of Buena Vista.

 Will has selected Mr. Michael Medders as his STAR teacher, based on the time they spent together in Commercial Arts and tennis during Will’s freshman year. Will says, “I believe Mr. Medders made a significant impact on me in the brief time he taught me. I only took his classes for about a year, but I feel that he really helped me find my own individuality. He also helped me discover how much I enjoy acting and writing. I definitely don’t think I would be the person I am today without him.”

Mr. Medders was a long-time educator in the Marion County School System before his retirement in 2021. Although originally a history teacher, Mr. Medders created and facilitated the Commercial Arts program and its famous EFILM. He and his students pioneered a public relations program for the school system and originated “Be there, wear red” and the current “M” branding. One of the most-anticipated events from the Commercial Arts program was the EFILM, which contained skits and short clips highlighting the Marion County student experience as it related to pop culture and entertainment. Mr. Medders’ extracurricular activities included coaching tennis and overseeing the production of the yearbook. Many of his students have gone on to careers in art, design, animation, engineering, and communications. He and his wife, Leigh, reside in Marion County and have raised three exceptional adults: Trip, Emmy, and Bense.

 Mr. Medders remembers Will fondly, stating: “Will entered my program as a freshman with a relentless drive and energy to ensure his place in the Who’s Who of EFILM folklore. He was an inspiration to me and each of his classmates. Will was intelligent, witty, and responsible, always the first up to write, act, direct, and produce films. He and I immediately found ourselves as kindred spirits. Will can compete with anyone on any level regardless of the subject.”

The PAGE Student Teacher Achievement Recognition (STAR) program, now in its 65th year, 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 29,000 students and the teachers they have selected as having had the most influence on their academic achievement. To obtain the 2023 STAR nomination, graduating 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. STAR begins each year in participating high schools throughout Georgia 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 titles, and those winners compete for region honors. Region Winners compete for the honor of being named State PAGE STAR Student. STAR Teachers continue on with their STAR Students at every level of the program.

 The Professional Association of Georgia Educators honors outstanding students and educators, and encourages academic excellence through competitive programs such as PAGE STAR, the PAGE Academic Bowl for Middle Grades, and the PAGE Georgia Academic Decathlon.

 Marion County wishes to congratulate Will Howard and Mr. Michael Medders on this great honor and to wish them luck at the Region competition in March.