STAR student, teacher honored
By JARED PUTNAM Union Sentinel Editor

Sentinel photo/Jared Putnam Union County High School Principal Ed Rohrbaugh, Star Student Peter Dohogne, Star Teacher Mark Donahue, and Blairsville-Union County Chamber of Commerce President Cindy Williams pose for a photo following Monday's Student Teacher Achievement Recognition (S.T.A.R.) Reception.

Peter Dohogne received honors as Union County High School's STAR Student for the 2006-2007 school year and selected Mark Donahue as his STAR teacher. Both student and teacher were honored at a Student Teacher Achievement Recognition Reception held in the UCHS library.

The Blairsville-Union County Chamber of Commerce (BUCCC) has been the local sponsor of the program for over 15 years.

"It is an honor for us to be part of this recognition," said BUCCC President Cindy Williams. "This program was created to focus public attention on Georgia's outstanding high school students and teachers that have been most instrumental in their development. During the past 49 years, the STAR program has honored more than 40,000 high school seniors who have in turn chosen their star teachers to share in their recognition."

Sentinel photos/Jared Putnam Coach Mark Donahue gets a good laugh as Peter Dohogne describes him as "the school's biggest kid."

Williams explained that to be eligible for STAR student honors, a senior must have obtained the highest SAT score in his or her class in one sitting and be in top 10 percent of the class.

Each student of each participating high school then names his or her STAR teacher.

Gina Donahue, a counselor at UCHS thanked everyone for attending and introduced Dohogne, noting that he has already been accepted at Georgia Tech and is waiting for a response to his application to Massachusettes Institute of Technology (M.I.T.) He has also been recognized as a Merit Scholarship finalist.

In his speech Dohogne jokingly described Donahue as "the school's biggest kid," and said that Donahue goes the extra mile for his students. "He has a genuine interest in the subject, in teaching, and especially in his students. He's always willing to help and rework problems for someone who does not understand," Dohogne said. "He teaches his kids how to solve problems, instead of just blindly feeding them equations. He is a strong advocate for the advanced courses."

Dohogne also pointed out Donahue's support of student athletes, and his participation in Students Against Destructive Decisions (S.A.D.D.).

"It is really quite an honor to be selected as a Star Teacher," Donahue said. "It is a career moment, and for me it is a reaffirming moment." He explained that Dohogne is one of the most gifted students he has ever encountered and is an exceptional problem solver.

Donahue said that Dohogne's ability comes from a combination of intellect and hard work. "Peter Dohogne gets it. He knows what we are here for and knows what we are trying to do. He is probably one of the brightest students I have had in my classroom. Students like Peter are very rare."

In closing Donahue said that he does not expect this to be the last that Union County hears of Peter Dohogne as he prepares to graduate high school and step out into the world. "I'm sure Peter is going to make his mark on your world as he has mine," Donahue said. "I look forward to the day when we are all sitting around much like this and we say, 'I knew Peter Dohogne when,' because that is going to happen."