Star Students in the Class of 2018 honor their Star Teachers
The annual Star Teacher-Student Awards
ceremony sponsored by Gaston County
Schools and The Gaston Gazette was held
Wednesday, April 11 at the Schiele Museum.
The program recognized an outstanding senior
from each high school and the teacher who
had the greatest influence on the student’s
educational career.
Lucy Talley, publisher of The Gaston Gazette,
Gaston County Board of Education vice
chairman Jeff Ramsey, and Superintendent
of Schools W. Jeffrey Booker shared remarks
during the program.
Below are the
2018 Star
Teacher-Student
Awards honorees:
teaches calculus
at Forestview High
School.
n Gaston Early
College High School
– Star Teacher
Charles Gardner
selected by Star
Student Selvin
Lendos
Selvin plans
to attend Tufts
University in Boston
to study civil
engineering. Mr.
Gardner is a lead
teacher at Gaston
Early College High
School.
n Ashbrook High
School – Star
Teacher Trip McGill
selected by Star
Student Lathan
Flake
Lathan plans
to attend North
Carolina State
University.
His major is
undecided. Mr. McGill is the school’s choral director. n Gaby plans to attend Johns Hopkins University
or Duke University to study economics. Mrs. Kimmel
teaches math at Hunter Huss High School.
n Bessemer City High School – Star Teacher Megan Trimnal selected
by Star Student Natalie Peregory
Natalie plans to attend UNC-Wilmington to study biology or pharmacy.
Ms. Trimnal taught biology at Bessemer City High School and is now
at South Point High School. n North Gaston High School – Star Teacher Elizabeth Leonard
selected by Star Student Carter Rushing
Carter plans to attend Applachian State University to study
communication sciences and disorders. Mrs. Leonard teaches
chemistry at North Gaston High School.
n Cherryville High School – Star Teacher Melanie Hawkins selected
by Star Student Taylor Paputseanos
Taylor plans to attend UNC Chapel Hill to study psychology. Ms.
Hawkins teaches English at Cherryville High School. n South Point High School – Star Teacher Katy Bradley selected by
Star Student Jessica Helton
Jessica plans to attend University of South Carolina or North Carolina
State University to study biology. Mrs. Bradley teaches science at
South Point High School.
n Stuart W. Cramer High School - Star Teacher Leslie Kalmbach
selected by Star Student Quentin Hooker
Quentin plans to attend North Carolina State University to study
aerospace engineering. Mrs. Kalmbach teaches English at Stuart W.
Cramer High School.
n East Gaston High School – Star Teacher Tom Adams selected by
Star Student Zach Adams
Zach plans to attend North Carolina Wesleyan Univeristy to study
computer science. Mr. Adams teaches physical education at East
Gaston High School.
n Forestview High School – Star Teacher Allison Henry selected by
Star Student Allison Roney
Allison plans to attend UNC Chapel Hill to study nursing. Mrs. Henry
4 • May/June 2018 • Parent Teacher Magazine
n Highland School of Technology – Star Teacher Joseph
Yavelak selected by Star Student Priya Shah
Priya plans to attend Yale University to study economics.
Mr. Yavelak teaches math at Highland School of
Technology.
n Hunter Huss High School – Star Teacher Jessica
Kimmel selected by Star Student Gaby Fonseca
n Webb Street School – Star Teacher Debbie Donoghue selected by
Star Student Quentin Pillock
Quentin plans to join the work force at Walmart or Food Lion. Mrs.
Donoghue is a job skills teacher at Webb Street School.
During the ceremony, each student read an essay about his or her
Star Teacher.
The Star Teacher-Students Awards ceremony aired on Spectrum
Cable Channel 21 the week of April 23-28 at the following times each
day: 9:00 a.m., 1:00 p.m., 4:00 p.m., 7:00 p.m., 9:00 p.m., and
11:00 p.m. The video will be available on the Gaston County Schools
YouTube channel.