Underclassmen were given their moment to shine with the annual Appreciation Day program Wednesday May 4, at Thomas County Central High School.
The event honors achievements by students in ninth, 10th and 11th grades; the seniors have their own ceremony, Honors Night, the following evening.
Certificates and medals were presented to students with highest averages in academic classes and those who have shown the most potential in their electives. Also, special recognition was given to students who excelled in various academic competitions.
“We are so impressed by our students' outstanding academic achievements,” Principal Trista Jones said. “Their diligence and commitment to their studies are evident. We applaud them and also thank their teachers and family members for encouraging them and supporting them in their learning.”
Junior Austin Kelley received a University of Georgia Certificate of Merit, which is awarded to juniors who rank in the top five percent of their class in recognition of outstanding scholastic achievement their first three years of high school.
“It feels good because I finally had my hard work pay off and I know I’m doing something with my life,” he said of the award.
Kelley also was recognized for his nomination to the Governors Honors Program and for his score in Chemistry Olympiad.
“This honor makes me want to try harder and do even better in my next year of school so I can go to my dream college and do great there,” he said.
Junior Connor McCardel also earned recognition for Chemistry Olympiad. He said chemistry is not easy, but he really enjoys it because he likes learning about how the world works.
“I was fairly surprised to get it,” he said of the award. “I feel very happy and honored to receive it. Receiving this recognition makes all of my academic efforts to this point feel as though they have a purpose. This award really motivates me to go even further in my academics.”
Freshman Cynthia Ramos earned honors in algebra, ninth grade literature, and French.
“I feel honored to have such amazing teachers who care about my education,” she said.
Ramos plans to work in a medical field so “mathematics is very important.”
“Knowing that my skills in math are above average motivates me to continue reaching for my career goals,” she said. “I also know that the ability to comprehend more than one language is important to communicating with patients, so the French award makes me want to work harder to learn French.”
She also received recognition for her performance in the National History Day competition (she placed third in the state). This is her favorite of the awards because this was her second year competing but her first year winning.
Ramos entered in individual exhibit her project about “The Little Rock Nine,” a topic she chose because of her interest “in the fight against segregation.”
Students say it is important to have ceremonies like Appreciation Day. Kelley said programs like it “help motivate students to try their hardest in what they love” in order to reach their goals. McCardel agrees.
“Honors like these motivate students to strive to do better in their academics and to not settle for where they are now,” he said. “They give students a reason to try their best.”