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TFS celebrates upper school award winners

The learning community at Tallulah Falls School celebrated the end of the 2020-21 academic year in a different way. Instead of the traditional Awards Day held prior to graduation, instead, teachers and administrators offered virtual accolades. 

The school released a video presentation on May 20, uploaded to three platforms to ensure audiences around the world could view the program. 

President and Head of School Larry A. Peevy and Upper School Academic Dean Kim Popham provided remarks for the program. 

Peevy announced the TFS Class of 2020 earned more than $8.6 million in scholarships and were accepted to more than 130 colleges and universities. 

“We are so proud of our upper school students for their accomplishments this year, especially our graduating seniors,” Peevy said. “It has been a year of challenges that provided our students with a chance to model their excellent character and work ethic.” 
“Our May All In theme was determination. What better way to showcase our students' determination than to celebrate the accomplishments of our students?” Popham said. “We miss our students greatly but they have done so well despite the unexpected end to our semester. We are so proud of them all, especially our seniors.”

Honors and awards were presented as follows:

STAR Student and STAR Teacher – Jihee Han and Beth Huebner, presented by Kim Popham. 

Outstanding Art Student – Maggie Jackson, presented by  Georgann Lanich.

Outstanding Broadcasting Student – Darren Fortner, presented by Jennifer Kennedy.

Outstanding Chinese Language Student – Mei Hui De Velasco, presented by Yibo Dong.

Outstanding Culinary Arts Student – Brenda Cochran, presented by Whitney Calloway.

Outstanding Drama Student – Donald (Whit) Fordham, presented by Jill Hunter.

Outstanding English Students, presented by Kelli Bly

Freshman – Zhigao (Henrry) Xiong
Sophomore – Ava Wehrstein
Junior – Margaret Jackson
Senior – Cassidy Elliot

Indian Iron Award – Sydney Coffee and Stephen Bowman, presented by Jinny Hanifan-Wagner.

Personal Fitness and Health – Evan Prince, presented by Jinny Hanifan-Wagner

Outstanding Mathematics Students, presented by Allen Campbell. 

Freshman  – Hannah Lundy
Sophomore – Jingan Sang
Junior – Brinson Hall
Senior – Jihee Han

Outstanding Music Student –  Zhiyang Shu, presented by Jill Hunter.

Outstanding Science Students, presented by Dr. Robert Barron.
Freshman – William (Trey) Greene
Sophomore – Madison Perdue
Junior – Zhiyan (Jerry) Zhou
Senior – Sarah Edwards

Outstanding Social Studies Students, presented by Dallas Barron.
Freshman – Seungwook (Daniel) Shin
Sophomore – Flannery Hogan
Junior – Cainan Yaskiewicz
Senior – Samuel McAllister

Outstanding Spanish Language Student – Sophie Alexander, presented by Susie Burton.

Georgia Certificate of Merit – Jiachin Li, Baylee MacBeth, Caroline Turpin, Pengyue Wang presented by Michelle Barron.

Heisman High School Scholarship School Winner – Caden Griffis, presented by Dr. Brandy Corbett.

Habersham Chamber of Commerce Community Service Award – Alia Bly, presented by Mary Beth Horton.

Habersham Chamber of Commerce Youth Leadership Members, presented by Mary Beth Horton.

Juniors – Anna Paige Barrett, Brinson Hall, Camden Hughes, Maggie Jackson, Rebekah Jennings, Collin Kelly, Simeon Respress, Samantha Stamey.
Seniors – Reeves Cody, Samuel Dunlap, Whit Fordham, AJ Hayes, Hayden Johnson, John Nichols, Abby Peacock, Hunter Weyrich.

Juniors

Seniors

Habersham Chamber of Commerce Youth Leadership Scholarship – Abby Peacock, presented by Mary Beth Horton. 

The Everyday Good Scholarship – Zach Corwin, presented by Heather Burke Cody. 

Circle for Children Scholarship – Ella Cantrell, presented by Dorris Van Wagenen. 

Habersham County Rotary Scholar – Sophia Alexander, presented by Lisa Smith.

Georgia Mountains and Lakes Realtors Association Scholarship – Sarah Edwards, presented by Dr. Brandy Corbett. 

Harry Norman Realtor Luxury Lake and Mountain Scholarship – Garrett Hunter, presented by Dr. Brandy Corbett. 

American Red Cross Scholarship – Brenda Cochran presented by Dallas Barron.

D.A.R. Good Citizen Award – Brentt Reeves Cody II, presented by Dallas Barron.

Clarkesville Kiwanis Club Key Club Scholarship – Alia Bly, presented by Robert Barron. 

Outstanding Upper School Day Student Award – John Nichols, presented by Jimmy Franklin.

Outstanding Upper School Boarding Student Award – Riley Barron, presented by Jimmy Franklin.

Extra Mile Award – Vjera Radovic, presented by Jimmy Franklin.

Valedictorian and Salutatorian –Sophie Alexander and Jihee Han, presented by Kim Popham.

Habersham Chamber of Commerce Recognition of Valedictorian – Sophia Alexander, presented by Mary Beth Horton. 

Outstanding Character Award – Sarah Edwards, presented by Dr. Larry A. Peevy. 

Tallulah Falls School President’s Leadership Award – Brentt Reeves Cody II, presented by Dr. Larry A. Peevy. 

Additionally, Assistant Academic Dean Dustin Rogers shared the names of students earning Presidential Scholar academic status for both the fall and spring semesters. A student earns a position on the Presidential Scholar List by maintaining a 4.0-grade point average, having no major discipline issues and by accruing fewer than 15 demerits for each semester and fewer than 30 demerits for the academic year.