Highly motivated, determined, intelligent, versatile, friendly, and kind are adjectives that Banks County High School counselor April Loggins and teacher Lara Jackson used to describe this year’s award recipient.
To obtain the STAR nomination, high school seniors must have the highest score on one test date on the three-part SAT taken through the November test date of their senior year and be in the top 10 percent or top 10 students of their class based on grade point average.
“Abby is highly motivated and determined to reach her goals. She is always making others around her become the best versions of themselves”, said Loggins.
“Abby is smart, but more importantly, she is well-rounded. She has an incredibly kind heart and goes out of her way to make others feel special. She is the epitome of what a student should be,” said Jackson.
Both Loggins and Jackson stated that “her smile is contagious.”
“I want to thank my teachers and family for all they have done to support me. I always said my goal was to beat my Dad’s (Drew Irvin) SAT score. And I did,” stated Irvin.
“My Memaw, Dessie Irvin, has been one of my biggest supporters. She is our family’s biggest cheerleader. She always texts me to tell me she loves me”, added Irvin.
Irvin credits her success at Banks County High School to many of her teachers, especially Lara Jackson, who she chose as this year’s STAR teacher.
“Mrs. Jackson is always encouraging and motivates me every day.”
Irvin also stated that having classes such as Forensics, taught by Dean Goodwin and Tony Bowen, makes learning fun and exciting.
“Forensics is fascinating. We have done some cool things, like learning about fingerprinting and search warrants. It is a class where we do things hands-on, and it makes learning interesting.”
Irvin highly recommends that future high school students take advantage of the numerous course offerings at Banks County High School and “take the SAT as many times as possible to get the best score.”
“You just have to keep working for things you really want, but you can get them if you just keep trying.”
Irvin plans to become a Georgia Bulldog or enroll at Vanderbilt to continue her education. Irvin was also selected as Banks County High School’s First Honorarian.