Foundation for Excellence | Athens, GA

What a spring it was!

As the 2025-26 school year ended, members of the Board of Trustee members of the Foundation for Excellence and our Executive Director visited and presented awards to praiseworthy Clarke County School District students.

Congratulations to these students! We hope they continue on the road of success and promise. May their examples lead their fellow classmates and community.

Cedar Shoals High School
Arthur Moog Middleton Writing Award for High School Juniors: Elijah Stone
Claude & Charlotte Williams American History Award: Leia Beal
Marge Schneider Science Award: Stella James
Gregg Lewis Scholar Athlete Award: Zeta Conway
Gregg Lewis Scholar Athlete Award: Christopher Koch


Clarke Central High School
Arthur Moog Middleton Writing Award for High School Juniors: Lea D'Angelo
Claude & Charlotte Williams American History Award: Miriam Widener
Marge Schneider Science Award: Copper Callahan
Gregg Lewis Scholar Athlete Award: Cara Flath
Gregg Lewis Scholar Athlete Award: Noah Kilpatrick

Classic City High School
Classic City Student of the Year: Malia Stephens

Athens Community Career Academy
Taylor Family Dual Enrollment Awards: Jose Hernandez & Lexie Holliday

Eve Carson Humanitarian Spirit Awards:
Barnett Shoals Elementary: Journee Haynes
Barrow Elementary: Ace Weatherford
Bettye Henderson Holston Elementary: Jeshie Carranza
Cleveland Road Elementary: Parrish Miller
Fowler Drive Elementary: David Reyes Rodriguez
Gaines Elementary: Gabriel Weathers
Howard B. Stroud Elementary: Samara Elfadil
J.J. Harris Elementary: Zoe Solis-Munoz
Johnnie Lay Burks Elementary: Beatrice Peacock
Oglethorpe Avenue Elementary: Clara Crim
Timothy Road Elementary: Chloe Taylor
Whit Davis Elementary: Greyson Brandon
Whitehead Road Elementary: Tefnet-Ankh-Re Huff
Winterville Elementary: Bennett Stahl
Burney-Harris-Lyons Middle School: Bronx Gresham
Clarke Middle School: Mariam Ahmed
Coile Middle School: Emanuel Castro-Menjivar
Hilsman Middle School: Ryan Watkins
Cedar Shoals High School: Derriana Smith
Clarke Central High School: Quinn Pendley

Did your student receive an FFE student award this year? Would you like us to include their picture? Please email it to: [email protected]

Last Friday was the last day of school for Clarke County School District but it does not mean our work has stopped for the summer. We made a stop today at Cedar Shoals High School to surprise their STAR Teacher Tara Stuart with the C. Thomas Poss STAR Teacher Award and the CJ Amason STAR Teacher Gift.

The C. Thomas Poss STAR Teacher Award was endowed in memory of Carl Thomas Poss, a University of Georgia professor by his wife, long time Cedar Shoals High School teacher, Brenda Poss and their children Charlotte and Geoffrey. The C. Thomas Poss STAR Teacher Award is a $500 award.

The CJ Amason STAR Teacher Gift was endowed by local businesman Reign Streiter in honor of the Foundation for Excellence's former Executive Director CJ Amason. The CJ Amason STAR Teacher Gift is a $250 gift card from the Downtown Athens Business Association.

Both the C. Thomas Poss STAR Teacher Award and the CJ Amason STAR Teacher Gift was also presented to Clarke Central High School's STAR Teacher Mr. Scott Swain last week.

Cedar Shoals High School's 2026 STAR Student and Class of 2026 Valedictorian Christopher Koch chose Ms. Stuart as the teacher who had the most influence and inspiration during his time at Cedar Shoals. Christopher and our Executive Director Catherine Neace presented those awards to Ms. Stuart during Cedar Shoals' end of the school year staff luncheon. Ms. Stuart is also the Foundation for Excellence's 2024 Frusanna S. Booth Chair for Teachers of English and Language Arts Award recipient!

Congratulations, Ms. Stuart! Thank you for your powerful impact on your students!

Every spring, the Foundation for Excellence in Public Education in Clarke County, Georgia is proud to present the Eve Carson Humanitarian Spirit Award to each one of Clarke County School District traditional elementary, middle, and high schools.

The Eve Carson Humanitarian Spirit Awards were first awarded in 2009 in memory of Clarke Central High School honor graduate Eve Carson. In her brief life, Eve exhibited a human spirit that one yearns to achieve in a lifetime. Students who embody the spirit of inclusiveness, open-mindedness, and an acceptance of others as exemplified by Eve Carson are chosen to receive this award.

Recipients of the exiting classes (5th, 8th, and 12th grades) at each level of schooling are chosen by their school to receive this honor.

Congratulations to these Clarke County students! May they continue to lead and set a beautiful example to their classmates, friends, and community.

Every year, the Foundation for Excellence in Public Education in Clarke County, Georgia is proud to present awards to a remarkable group of students at four of the Clarke County School District's high schools. The Foundation for Excellence has presented over $4000 to these students the past few weeks.

Congratulations to these students! We are very proud to present these awards to you!

Although spring is typically the Student Awards season, we still recognize the inspiring work of Clarke County School District teachers. Today we surprised the 2026 STAR Teacher of Clarke Central High School Scott Swain!

Mr. Swain was chosen by the 2026 Clarke Central High School STAR student Olivia Bergman as the teacher who had an influential impact during her time at Clarke Central. Mr. Swain was presented with the C. Thomas Poss STAR Teacher Award and the CJ Amason STAR Teacher Gift today by our Executive Director Catherine Neace.

The C. Thomas Poss STAR Teacher Award is a $500 award endowed in memory of University of Georgia Professor C. Thomas Poss by his wife Brenda and his children Charlotte and Geoffrey. This award was established in 2017 and was first awarded in 2018.

The CJ Amason STAR Teacher Gift is a $250 gift card for Downtown Athens businesses. Named after the former Executive Director of the Foundation for Excellence in Public Education CJ Amason, this award was endowed by Reign Streiter. This gift was first awarded in 2022.

Congratulations, Mr. Swain! Thank you for what you do for your students!

Back in March, we asked for the community to nominate Clarke County School District educators, school counselors, paraprofessionals, bus drivers, security staff, custodial staff, cafeteria staff, coaches...any Clarke County School District personnel who made tremendous impacts on the students and community.

We received 215 nominations. 215 times a nomination form was filled out. 215 times someone nominated an outstanding CCSD staff member for our awards. 215 times someone thought of the inspiring work within Clarke County School District.

Out of a district that employs over 2100 individuals, 191 of them were nominated for one of our awards. 191 people received emails congratulating them on receiving a nomination. 191 people were told they were inspiring. Of those 191 people, 12 received multiple nominations for different awards.

Thank you, Clarke County School District Community for recognizing the people in the school district that are doing such amazing and inspiring work with the students and the community! This is just a part of our mission to find the educators and staff members who are making a difference.

We will be announcing winners of these awards in July. Follow us for more updates!

Today is the last day to nominate a Clarke County School District teacher or staff member for our 2026 awards.

Nominate at our website: www.athensffe.org

Congratulations, Mr. Pritchett!

The Foundation for Excellence presented Mr. Pritchett the Mae M. Whatley Teacher of the Year Award in October. Since 2014, the FFE has been presenting the Mae M. Whatley Teacher of the Year Award.

We wish Mr. Pritchett the best as he moves forward to being a finalist for the State Teacher of the Year!

It's time! Time to nominate a Clarke County School District educator and staff member that has made an incredible impact on Clarke County School District students and community for one of our awards.

For more information about available awards and to nominate, visit our website: www.athensffe.org/awards-list

Accepting nominations until 11 pm, April 15, 2026.

NOMINATE A DESERVING EDUCATOR OR STAFF MEMBER TODAY!

Congratulations to Ms. Erin Hacker of Johnnie Lay Burks Elementary School for being named the 2025 June Baldwin Turnell Aspiring Teacher Grant recipient!

Established in 2022, the June Baldwin Turnell Aspiring Teacher Grant is named in memory of the legacy of longtime Clarke County School District educator, administrator, and mentor June Baldwin Turnell. This grant is differentfrom the other grants the FFE offers as it seeks to help support a non-certified staff member as they achieve their initial teaching certification.

Our Executive Director Catherine Neace and Johnnie Lay Burks Elementary Principal Matthew Snow surprised Ms. Hacker and her 3rd grade class with the news this morning. (A silly picture is always needed when you are with 3rd graders!)

The FFE wishes Ms. Hacker much success as she works and achieves her educational goals.