THOMASVILLE - Sarah Chason is the 2012 STAR Student of Brookwood School. She chose her Advanced Placement United States History and Advanced Placement European History Teacher David Grooms as her STAR Teacher.
"Sarah is a very dedicated student." Grooms said. "She is always engaged and focused in class. She has a natural curiosity and a desire to learn."
In addition, Grooms, who also is Brookwood's director of the Upper School and assistant headmaster, said, "Sarah is very active in the daily life of the school. She always has a smile on her face and tackles all challenges with enthusiasm."
The 17-year-old senior explained her choice of Grooms as the teacher who has been most instrumental in her academic development.
"Mr. Grooms teaches history with detail, but he approaches it in a way that gives his students the big picture. I have learned so much about history and feel confident in connecting history and analyzing historical events."
Grooms, who began teaching at Brookwood in 1980, also was selected as the STAR Teacher by three previous STAR Students.
Chason obtained her STAR Student status by achieving the highest score on a single test date on the three-part SAT taken through the November 2011 test date and is in the top 10 percent of her class based on her grade-point average.
A Brookwood student for 13 years, Chason is the daughter of Judge Kevin and Mary Chason of Cairo. Her brother Phillip is in the 10th grade at Brookwood.
A member of the National Honor Society, she was awarded a Georgia Certificate of Merit and was named a National Merit Scholar Commended Student. Chason has been involved in Cross Country for the past two years, served on the Debate Team for three years, has been active in the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, and was elected to the Homecoming Court.
She is active in Cairo's First United Methodist Church youth group, serving as the Youth Council secretary, is a member of the vision team, and participated in a mission trip to Costa Rica last summer.
She has made the most of her college-preparatory education.
"Brookwood has challenged me and taught me the importance of diligence and preparation," Chason said.
Along with nine of her Brookwood classmates, Chason's Early Action Application to the University of Georgia was accepted, although students have not officially announced their choices for their higher education.
