Pictured are Jaeda Bennett (r), this year's STAR Student at LCHS, and STAR Teacher Helene Rhodes. The pair is among those who will receive recognition at Academic Honors Night set for tonight (Thursday) at 7 p.m. in the school cafeteria. Jaeda Bennett, STAR Student at LCHS, and STAR Teacher, Helene Rhodes, will be among those receiving recognition at Academic Honors Night slated for tonight (Thursday) at 7 p.m. in the school cafeteria.

"I was incredibly shocked to be named STAR Student," said Bennett. "It is a great honor - I couldn't have done it without God's help and the support of my family and friends."

Although she is understandably proud to be the STAR Student for the Class of 2006, Bennett said she is prouder still of the opportunity to recognize Helene Rhodes as her STAR Teacher "because she is truly an amazing person."

The STAR Student must be in the top 10 percent of his class and have earned the highest score on the College Board Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT).

Bennett has been in the top five percent of her class throughout high school, serving as an honor usher at commencement exercises last year.

At the 2005 academic awards ceremony, the STAR Student received certificates of merit from the University of Georgia, Presbyterian College, and Augusta State University.

While a student at LCHS, Bennett served as president of the Spanish Honor Society her junior and senior years; president of the Future Community and Career Leaders of America (FCCLA) her senior year; vice president of the student council her junior and senior years; secretary of the Senior Beta Club her junior year; and as class secretary her freshman and senior years and class president her junior year.

She was likewise a varsity cheerleader, ran track, played tennis, and was a member of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA).

Concerning other school activities, Bennett represented her class on the Homecoming Court, both as a freshman and as a senior. Also, at the 2003 Miss LCHS Pageant, she not only won the title but walked away with Miss Photogenic honors as well. Most recently, she was selected as Miss Panorama (the school's yearbook) by the UGA Dance Dogs.

Considering all of her accomplishments, it is no surprise that her classmates voted her "Most Likely to Succeed." She was further recognized by her peers for having the "Best Smile."

In her spare time, the gifted teenager enjoys listening to music, dancing, playing tennis, and spending time with family and friends. She has served as a volunteer tutor at Tabernacle Baptist Church and at the EduKare Center.

She attends New Tabernacle Baptist Church.

Looking toward the future, Bennett plans to major in Spanish and possibly business at Georgia Southern University in Statesboro.

She is the daughter of John and Brenda Norman Bennett of Lincolnton.

Commenting on her choice of Helene Rhodes as her STAR Teacher, Bennett said, "Mrs. Rhodes is a remarkable person - she is a person who believes in the equal treatment of all people. She is very conscious of the world and its different cultures. It is so awesome to know a woman who teaches and believes in learning about and accepting all people.

"Mrs. Rhodes is also a terrific teacher," the STAR Student continued. "I have always loved Spanish, but after taking my first class with Mrs. Rhodes, I was really hooked and had to sign up for two more because I loved it so much."

Bennett went on to say that Rhodes is always available to any student who needs extra help. "She is a wellrounded teacher and individual, and someone whom I can talk to on a personal level. There is not enough I can say to do Mrs. Rhodes justice - I absolutely love her."

The admiration is mutual.

"It has been my great pleasure to teach this outstanding student Spanish for three years," stated Rhodes. "She has a willingness to learn, regardless of the difficulty of the concept or skill, and most importantly, she has the tenacity to accomplish her goals. She is a self-motivator which is one of the secrets of her success and one of the reasons she is such a delight to teach. She rises to every academic challenge, seeming to relish it.

"Jaeda has many qualities that relate to the gemstone jade, which was prized more highly than gold and diamonds in the Central American Maya, Aztec, and Olmec cultures," said the STAR Teacher. "She is tough, good, beautiful and precious, wise, just, compassionate, modest, and courageous. I know that whatever she chooses to do, Jaeda has the intelligence, creativity, moral values, and persistence to achieve her goals. She is a great role model for other students and exemplifies our school's motto: 'Forever Learning, Forever Leading.'"

In further remarks, Rhodes said, "At first I was stunned and then I began to cry when Jaeda told me she had selected me as her STAR Teacher. I simply was not expecting it. I think the honor is extra special because Jaeda is such an extra-special person and student. She is not a student who needs to be the center of attention; yet, her quiet presence and personal centeredness in who she is and what she wants out of life speak to her peers as well as to me.

"Thank-you, Jaeda, for allowing me to be a part of your celebration as STAR Student. It has been sheer joy to teach you and a terrific honor to be chosen as your STAR Teacher."

A native of Pearl River, New York, Rhodes has taught Spanish at LCHS for the past 21 years. She earned a Bachelor of Arts in Spanish literature from Drew University in Madison, New Jersey, spending her junior year abroad studying in Spain.

After received a Master of Arts in Spanish from Emory University, she spent close to three years working on a Master of Divinity degree, also at Emory.

During her career as an educator, Rhodes has been the recipient of many honors. She was named the AATSP (American Association for Teachers of Spanish and Portuguese) Georgia Spanish Teacher of the Year in 1990; the Teacher of the Year at LCHS in 1992; and the FLAIR (Foreign Language Alliance for International Rapport) Teacher of the Year in 1999.

She served as president of the Georgia Chapter of the AATSP from 1985 to 1987.

In addition, Rhodes visited Madrid, Spain, for six weeks in 1987 as a participant in a study abroad program, sponsored by Georgia State University, and again in 1990, as the recipient of an AATSP Travel-Study Award. In 1993, she returned to Spain to study at the University of Salamanca after being awarded a scholarship by the Embassy of Spain. She likewise led student expeditions to Mexico in 1985 and 1993.

The STAR Teacher is listed in the 1996 and 1998 editions of "Who's Who Among America's Teachers." She is a member of the Foreign Language Association of Georgia (FLAG) as well as several honor societies including Phi Sigma Iota (foreign languages), Theta Phi (theology), and Delta Kappa Gamma (education).

Regarding other professional achievements, Rhodes took part in the ACTFL(American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages) SLOM Project, which required her to edit a Spanish reader for use at the high school level. Furthermore, she has had articles published in the "Scott

Foresman Foreign Language Notes" and "The Beacon," a FLAG publication.

When Rhodes is not in the classroom, she enjoys reading, playing with her grandchildren, and traveling. Moreover, she is an active member of the Lincolnton Presbyterian Church.

She and her husband, Dusty, have two children and two grandchildren.

In its 48th year, the Student-Teacher Achievement Recognition (STAR) program is sponsored by PAGE, the Georgia Department of Education, and the Georgia Chamber of Commerce. The local sponsor is the Lincolnton Lincoln County Chamber of Commerce.

Since its inception, the STAR program has honored more than 17,000 high school seniors and the teachers whom they selected as the most instrumental in their academic development.