Darlington senior Jack Yang has been named the 2023 Darlington STAR Student. Yang selected Math Department Head Al Shorey as his STAR Teacher.
Yang has taken 16 AP and Honors classes, and is a member of the DarFarm, Y-Cabinet, the Inkslinger staff, varsity track and field and the math and physics teams. He founded the Dar Tech Team, a group of students who provide technology resources and tutorials for students and faculty on campus. As a junior, Yang coordinated monthly events like "Appy Hour," where students had a chance to present applications or other technology projects they have created.
He was awarded the Everett E. Porter Award for Excellence in Chemistry Laboratory and the E.L. Wright Award for the highest GPA in AP Calculus AB. Yang is the son of Mr. Zongxin Yang and Mrs. Xiao Ou Xie and is from Beijing, China.
"I selected Mr. Shorey because of his patience and kindness to students and how he prepares more than enough resources for students to succeed," said Yang.
Shorey has taught math at the Upper School since 2013 and serves as head of the department. A retired U.S. Army lieutenant colonel, he holds a B.S. in Electrical Engineering from the United States Military Academy, an M.S. in Engineering Management from the University of Missouri at Rolla and an M.S. in Civil Engineering from the University of Tennessee.
"Jack arrived at Darlington as a young, shy 9th grade student from across the world in China. I admired his willingness to take on this challenge at a young age," said Shorey. "He jumped right in with both feet by taking Honors Precalculus with mostly Juniors and Seniors. He was among the top students that year and has continued to excel since. He has taken every advanced math course that we offer and is currently taking Multivariable Calculus with Georgia Tech. I love the way that he really wants to understand the math and doesn't worry too much about his grades. He knows that success naturally follows great understanding. He is going to be an awesome college student."
Locally, the STAR Students and their selected STAR Teachers are honored by their schools and recognized by the Rome Floyd Chamber, which serves as the local sponsor of the STAR program. Students then compete for local school system titles, and those winners move on to compete for regional honors.
The PAGE Student Teacher Achievement Recognition (STAR) program, now in its 64th year, is sponsored, administered and promoted by the Professional Association of Georgia Educators (PAGE). Since its creation by the Georgia Chamber of Commerce in 1958, the STAR program has honored nearly 30,000 students and the teachers selected as the most influential to their academic achievement. To obtain the 2022 STAR nomination, high school seniors must have the highest score on a single test date on the SAT and be in the top 10 percent or top 10 students of their class based on grade point average.
