STAR students and teachers recognized at Friday luncheon

ALBANY – Dougherty County’s STAR students and their selected STAR teachers got their chance to shine on Friday with an annual honors program sponsored by the Albany Area Chamber of Commerce.

The program, held at the Albany State University West Campus, recognized the top scorers on the Scholastic Aptitude Test from Byne Christian School, Deerfield-Windsor School, Dougherty High School, Monroe High School, Sherwood Christian Academy and Westover High School. Each of the students gave remarks about their future plans and introduced the teacher each selected as an inspiration during their academic journeys.

STAR students are selected based on having the highest SAT score for their graduating class and ranking in the 10% of their class.

Deerfield-Windsor School’s Alyia Nurbhai was recognized as Dougherty County’s 2026 STAR Student and will advance to represent the county at the Regional STAR competition that will be held in March. The senior chose Jessica Carr as her STAR Teacher.

“I’m very grateful definitely for this opportunity to be recognized,” Nurbhai told an Albany Herald reporter at the conclusion of the ceremony. “I’m very glad I was able to recognize her (Carr) as a STAR Teacher. She has always been so understanding of all her students.”

Nurbhai, who said she plans to major in computer science, has several options for college, having been accepted at several universities, including the University of Miami, where she has been offered a full scholarship, Carr said.

“She’s super communicative and she listens to every word you say,” the teacher said of the county STAR student. “She seeks out opportunities to do things on her own.”

The five other students and teachers recognized were:

• Brody Thomas Brown and Dawne Beck, Sherwood Christian Academy;
• Treasure W. Olabisi-Ojo and Ashley Reynolds, Byne Christian School;
• Kate Orme and Angela Warren, Westover High School;
• Lauren Aaliyah Salter and Derrick Battle, Dougherty High School;
• Kendall Benjamin Tyler Trent and Lawrence Green, Monroe High School.

For Trent, who said he plans to pursue studies at the Georgia Institute of Technology on his path to become a chemical engineer, the recognition was “pretty cool.”

“I lust like science,” he said.

Monroe STAR Teacher Lawrence Green described Trent as an “amazing student.”

“He’s always challenging the narrative,” said Green, who taught Trent history earlier in his academic career. “He’s just a great young man. I appreciate him for this honor, choosing me.”

A theme mentioned by several of the school and chamber officials who spoke at the ceremony was the hope that some of the students recognized will return to their hometown to share their talents after college.

“We want them to go out and succeed, but you can come back to Albany and share your gifts,” Chamber interim President and CEO Matt Reed said during an interview after the conclusion of the program. “There is so much opportunity here. We want to be building a community for young people to have opportunities here.”