Ben A. Reynolds, son of Dr. John and Jean Reynolds of Bainbridge, is the 2008-2009 Bainbridge High School Student Teacher Achievement Recognition (STAR) student.

Reynolds chose BHS weight training coach Carl Elliott, who he said taught him about the importance of character, hard work and many other life values, as his STAR teacher.

“The best compliment I can give Ben, who is a true student athlete, is to say that if I had a son I would like for him to be like him,” Elliott said. “He has his priorities in order and he works extremely hard. Being chosen by him as his STAR teacher is a great honor. As educators, we are here for the students. They are not here for us, and I feel blessed to have had a young man as outstanding as Ben Reynolds share a small part of his life with me.”

BHS principal Tommie Howell says Reynolds, a first-team All-Region 1AAAA offensive guard with the Bearcat football team and medal-winning heavyweight class performer with the Bearcat wrestling team, is an even better person than he is a student and athlete.

He was named the Hall of Fame Scholar Athlete for the Southwest Georgia Region.

The STAR student program, which is now in its 51st year, is sponsored by the Professional Association of Georgia Educators (PAGE) Foundation, the Georgia Chamber of Commerce and the Georgia Department of Education.

Reynolds and Elliott will be honored by the Bainbridge-Decatur County Chamber of Commerce at their Thursday general membership breakfast at Southwind Plantation.

The STAR program has honored more than 21,000 students and the teachers they have selected as having had the most influence on their academic success.

To obtain the STAR nomination, high school seniors must have the highest score on one test date on the three-part Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) and be in the top 10 percent or top 10 students of their class based on grade point average.

STAR begins each year in participating high schools throughout Georgia when the STAR student is named and chooses a STAR teacher to share in the recognition.

Students then compete for school system titles, and those winners compete for region honors. Region winners compete for the honor of being named State PAGE STAR Student.

The mission of the PAGE Foundation is to recruit, develop, retain, and recognize outstanding teachers for all Georgia students.