Riverwood School Announces STAR Student, Teacher

From Riverwood Intl School:Riverwood International Charter School is proud to announce Saya Abney as the 2017-18 STAR Student; she chose Social Studies faculty member Daniel Gribble as her STAR teacher.

To obtain the Student Teacher Achievement Recognition (STAR), high school seniors must have the highest score on a single test date on the three-part SAT taken through the November test date of their senior year and be in the top ten percent, or top ten students, of their class based on grade point average. The STAR program honors Georgia's outstanding high school seniors and the teachers who have been most instrumental in their academic development.

Abney is an IB Diploma Candidate and plans to major in physics or aerospace engineering. Already holding an acceptance from the University of Virginia School of Engineering and Applied Science, she also has UC Berkeley, Harvard, Princeton, Yale, Columbia, Emory, and Georgia Tech in her college choices. Abney aspires to attend law school after college.

Abney’s STAR teacher is Social Studies faculty member Daniel Gribble. Abney said, “I picked Mr. Gribble as my STAR teacher because his classes encourage students to learn skills beyond the course content: reading comprehension, critical analysis, and time management. He cares about and supports his students while trying to ensure they can succeed on their own.” Abney has an remarkable list of honors and achievements. She is a National Merit Scholar Semifinalist, received the Georgia Certificate of Merit, is an AP Scholar, and received the Harvard Prize Book Award. A member of the Principal’s Honor Roll for four years, she also received academic achievement awards in AP US History, AP World History, Spanish 4 Honors, Engineering and Technology, and Chinese 1. Abney was selected as a “Riverwood VIP” by her AP US History Teacher. In both 10th and 11th grades, her literature entry in the PTSA Reflections contest won at the school level; her 10th grade entry was the North Fulton Council Level Winner.

A vital member of the Raider Policy Debate Team, Abney led the effort to restart the Riverwood Debate Team during her freshman year. She, along with her debate partner, Julia Dias, have been coaching the novice and JV debaters on the team for the last three years. Abney has had many successes in debate competitions, including winning the 15th Speaker out of 166 at the NDCS National Debate Championships in 2017. Coming in April 2018, she will compete at the prestigious Tournament of Champions.

Abney brought the now annual “Big Questions Debate” tournament to Riverwood which serves to not only teach public speaking skills to fellow students but also serves as a critical fundraiser for the team. Reaching over 140 students, her efforts earned $5,000.

Passionate for education and social justice, she serves as an AP World History Tutor, started a weekly tutoring program for ESOL students, and volunteers to coach and judge middle school debate tournaments through the Atlanta Urban Debate League. Abney is a member of National Spanish Honor Society, the National Honor Society, and the National Beta Club. Says Gribble, “In an era where civil discourse is increasingly rare, Saya is a beacon of hope for civil society. Her ongoing efforts to promote debate within our community are rooted in a deeply held belief that rhetoric should not be weaponized, rather, it should be used as a tool that unites a diversity of peoples by breaking cycles of economic, educational, and social inequity.” During Gribble’s 17 years at Riverwood, he has taught 23 different subjects. He started his career in math and transitioned to the Social Studies department via the world of competitive policy debate. He currently teaches AP World History and IB Theory of Knowledge courses. Gribble is the Extended Essay Coordinator, working with IB Diploma students to support them in their work as they research their subject, coordinate mentor selection, and setting program expectations and deadlines. He added, “To be named STAR Teacher by a student of Saya’s caliber is extremely rewarding both professionally and personally. I consider myself blessed to teach students that are curious, intellectually driven, and passionate about their studies. Saya represents the best of those characteristics and adds humility, kindness, and a gentleness of spirit that is exceedingly rare today.”
Both will be honored at a breakfast by the Midtown Rotary Club this spring at the annual PAGE Foundation STAR Banquet.

Image Via Riverwood Intl