Augusta Prep senior named STAR student
He was the STAR of the county. Now he's the STAR of the district.
Up next, STAR of Georgia.
Augusta Preparatory Day School senior Ashwin Rajendra was named the district STAR student last week at a banquet in Thomson. Ashwin represented Columbia County in the 13-district region. He scored a perfect 1,600 on his SAT.
Ashwin is the second Augusta Prep student to be named district STAR student in the last four years. He named Tim Shafer, his advanced-placement calculus teacher, as his STAR teacher.
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"We are so proud of Ashwin," said Head of School Jack Hall. "He has matured in so many ways since starting at Prep in sixth grade ... He is one of the most personable young people I know."
Ashwin, 17,also is a state cross country champion, was named the 2003 Foreign Language Student of the CSRA (private and public schools) and has taken nine advanced-placement courses.
Ashwin, the son of Dushi and Ajita Rajendra of Martinez, has a full schedule of advanced-placement courses this year, including calculus, physics, Latin, English and modern European history.
Ashwin has been on the track team at Augusta Prep for four years. He alsi is a Boy Scout, vice president of the school's National Honor Society, co-president of the Spanish Club, a member of the Math Team and secretary of the school's chapter of Augusta Urban Ministries.
On Thursday, Ashwin drove to Thomson from Atlanta, where he was attending the Emory University's President's Scholar weekend, and returned to Emory after the presentation.
Ashwin is waiting to hear from Harvard University, Princeton University, Yale University and Emory next week before making a decision on college. He already has been accepted to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
Shafer is a graduate of Yale University and received his masters of arts in teaching from the University of New Hampshire.
"I heard on the radio incredibly high praise for Sen. Daniel Patrick Moynihan (who died last week)," Shafer said at the banquet. "He was described as the greatest thinker among politicians since Lincoln, and the greatest politician among thinkers since Jefferson. Ashwin, you have incredible thinking skills, and incredible people/political skills besides. Continue your pursuit of excellence, and earn similar praise."