Humility, intelligence, compassion, positivity, and tenacity are connecting qualities that illuminate Thomas County Central High School senior Alex Marquez’s character. Shining brightly, he just earned the TCCHS Class of 2021 STAR Student honor.
“Earning STAR student is a major accomplishment for me,” Marquez said. “Although achieving STAR student was not my only motivation for scoring highly on the SAT, it was something I was eager to work toward, and I am excited to be the STAR student for my graduating class.”
This accolade celebrates the senior of each graduating class with the highest SAT score. While Marquez, 18, does not believe the SAT necessarily indicates a person’s intelligence, he does feel it’s an important slice of a high school student’s journey.
“I believe anyone can achieve a high score if they are willing to put in the time and effort,” he said. “The benefits of preparing for the SAT go beyond just achieving a higher SAT score. In preparing for the SAT, you develop important studying skills and also improve your chance of getting accepted into your dream college.”
However, Marquez is far more than just a student with a high SAT score. Academically, he is an Advanced Placement Scholar with Distinction, which means he earned an average score of 3.5 or more on all his AP exams (thus far) and posted 3 or higher on five or more of them. He’s taking five AP courses this year and will end his high school career with 10 in total.
Outside the classroom, he’s served as a volunteer assistant coach for a youth soccer team and is a TCCHS Key Club member. Also, Marquez serves as an officer in the school’s Future Business Leaders of America chapter and is a member of the TCCHS National Honor Society.
Marquez selected TCCHS social studies instructor and his Key club adviser Farran Burnette as his STAR teacher. Burnette feels honored to be his choice.
“I am certain there is not a teacher he has had that would not speak in the highest regard of him,” she said. “Knowing that he chose me means more to me than I can describe in words. Being chosen by a student to be STAR teacher, in my opinion, is one of the most, if not the most, meaningful distinctions a teacher can receive. This is my first time being named a STAR teacher, and this will forever be a highlight of my professional career.”
Marquez said Burnette’s name was first on his mind because the educator’s been extremely helpful to him as a student in her AP Focus class the past two years.
“Whether it was helping me apply to college or helping me prepare for the SAT, Mrs. Burnette is a major reason I have been so successful in high school,” he said. “Her passion for education and helping others is something that especially stands out to me. She always goes above and beyond for all her students and loves to get involved in school activities and community service. She is a great role model to me, and I am grateful to be one of her students.”
Marquez’s favorite memory from his time in Burnette’s classroom is when the teacher had the entire class take turns complimenting one another.
“We bonded together as a class, and it strengthened my relationship with my peers,” he said. “This is one of my favorite moments because this is not something you would typically do in a high school class. It was a genuine experience that I will always remember from Mrs. Burnette's class.”
Burnette expressed delight at learning Marquez won STAR student.
“Elated is not a strong enough word to describe my emotions toward Alex earning STAR student,” she said. “Alex is an amazing student, an extremely hard worker, and a devoted academic. Alex is a student every teacher loves. He is easy-going, humble, and extremely intelligent.”
Burnette works with Marquez in the classroom but also through extracurricular activities and community service. She said he could excel in anything in which he puts his mind toward accomplishing.
“As a student, he naturally emerges as a leader all of his peers look up to and lean on,” she said. “He has a servant’s heart and gives all of his knowledge away freely to anyone who will ask, but always in a manner of humility and never laced with pride. He exemplifies the candidate you would handpick for any award. He is well-loved by his peers, his teachers, and his coaches. Alex never backs down from challenges, has a tenacity I have seen in few others, and always carries a positive attitude.”
Marquez plans to attend the Georgia Institute of Technology and major in computer science.
“My goal is to become a computer programmer,” he said. “I have always enjoyed working with computers, and I believe this career path suits me well.”