The Class of 2016, boasting a potential 11,645 high school graduates, is GCPS’ largest and most decorated to date.
“We salute the Class of 2016 and all of their accomplishments,” says CEO/Superintendent Alvin Wilbanks. “Graduation is a special time in a student’s K-12 academic career. It is a big moment for these students, their families, and the school district. This year’s graduates are among the best prepared of any graduating class and we expect that they will achieve great things. We wish them well as they move on to the next chapter of their lives, knowing they are ready for the future. These students have worked hard for their diploma and the honors they have achieved… however, they were not alone on the journey. With that in mind, I congratulate the families of our graduates and the many teachers who helped to shape the lives of these students… working together you have encouraged, engaged and energized the Class of 2016.”
The senior report for the Class of 2016 shows that:
•83% of the students graduating this year report that they plan to continue their education by attending college or postsecondary schools. The vast majority, or 85% of them, plans to attend college in Georgia.
•The seniors who plan to continue their education have been offered, as of April of 2016, nearly $153 million in academic, athletic, and military scholarships.
•The majority of the scholarship amount, more than $97.3 million, was earned for academic achievement. Gwinnett students also received nearly $49 million in athletic scholarships, and nearly $6.7 million due to military appointments. The monetary awards do not include scholarships associated with HOPE, QuestBridge, the Broad Scholars, or the Gates Millennium Scholars Program.
•As of May of 2016, a record 18 Gwinnett seniors had earned full scholarships through the Gates Millennium Scholars Program. In addition, 18 students received full scholarships through the QuestBridge College Match Program.
•A record 17 GCPS students received military appointments. They are:
Brookwood HS
Zachary Jennings US Naval Academy
Andrew Rankin US Naval Academy
Collins Hill HS
Matthew Herbig USAir Force Academy
Grayson HS
Riley Eck US Military Academy at West Point (Army)
Ulysses Cadet US Naval Academy
Lanier HS
Ashton Barnes US Air Force Academy
Mill Creek HS
Diego Manrique US Naval Academy
Ernando Manrique US Naval Academy
Ashley Sandquist US Coast Guard Academy
Mountain View HS
Kyle Baker US Naval Academy
Jared Gee US Coast Guard Academy
North Gwinnett HS
David Abbott US Naval Academy
Tricia Dang US Air Force Academy
Peachtree Ridge HS
Justin Jang US Military Academy at West Point (Army)
South Gwinnett HS
Devon Canterbury US Military Academy at West Point (Army)
Christopher Skyers US Military Academy at West Point (Army)
Trontavious Tate US Military Academy at West Point (Army)
•Mill Creek High will graduate the largest class this year with 890 students, closely followed by Brookwood High with 810, and Peachtree Ridge High with a potential 757 graduates.
•The Class of 2016 also includes 3,033 Honor Graduates, who are graduating with a grade percent average of 90 or better.
•During their high school career, 6,625 seniors took Advanced Placement (AP) courses and 3,206 scored a 3 or above on the AP Exam.
•While members of the Class of 2016 were working on their high school diploma, 577 of them also earned college credit through dual enrollment.
Congratulations to the highest ranking students in each high school, those earning the title of valedictorian or salutatorian. They are:
School Valedictorian Salutatorian Graduates Honor Graduates
(1st in Class) (2nd in Class)
Archer HS Jasmine Moore Morgan Lewis 570 199
Berkmar HS Mohammad Shahid Awan Melissa Stan 596 110
Brookwood HS Emma DeJarnette Iris Liu 810 256
Central Gwinnett Rebecca ThompsonChristiana Oluwatobi Esowhode 483 68
Collins Hill HS Patricia Granda-MalaverScott Inderrieden 734 292
Dacula HS Foli Amaizo Aura Berende 449 78
Discovery HS Toni ‘Sage” Carson 272 23
Duluth HS Jared Borders Joanne (Jeong) Lee 508 132
GOC Sydney Morgan Catherine Schall 132 14
Grayson HS Noah Wilson Anna Scartz 653 177
GSMST Timothy Gieseking Thienkhanh Nguyen 200 102
Lanier HS Basent Saleh Savannah Higgins 389 93
Meadowcreek HS Samina Uddin Edgar Andres Gonzalez 537 86
Mill Creek HS Kristen Gomez Hannah Lee 890 269
Mountain View Amy Catherine Jenkins Lauren Schuster 456 119
Norcross HS Tina Tran Sydney Feinsmith 713 177
North Gwinnett Nicholas Chang Mary Truong 667 285
Parkview HS Anima Shrestha Lillian Wang 650 205
Peachtree Ridge Priyanka Desai Sophia Sakers 757 259
Shiloh HS Noah Solomon Cameryn Simone Farrow 401 34
South Gwinnett Michelle Ortega Paula-Ann Marie Granston 525 55
