Hart County HS Senior Makes Georgia Scholars List for 2021

A Hart County High School senior is one of 323 graduating seniors from across Georgia who have been recognized by State School Superintendent Richard Woods and the Georgia Department of Education as 2021 Georgia Scholars.

He is Ben Tellano of Hartwell and he was the only local high school senior in our area to make the list.  He plans to attend the University of Georgia.

Through the Georgia Scholar program, the Georgia Department of Education identifies and honors high school seniors who have achieved excellence in school and community life.

Students eligible for Georgia Scholar recognition are high school seniors who exhibit excellence in all phases of school life, in community activities, and in the home.

Each Georgia Scholar receives a seal for their diploma.

Georgia Scholar students have carried exemplary course loads during their four years of high school; performed excellently in all courses; successfully participated in interscholastic events at their schools and in their communities; and have assumed roles in extracurricular activities sponsored by their schools.

Tellano has been actively involved in the Hart County 4-H program and has served as a judge in national competitions.

This year however, the SAT and ACT score requirement was waived, as some students were not able to take or retake these exams due to the pandemic.

“As a state, we can all draw inspiration from the resilience and determination of the class of 2021,” Superintendent Woods said. “Like their counterparts in the class of 2020, they dealt with the sudden shutdown of in-person schooling in March of last year. Then they persevered through a school year that was, of necessity, unlike any we have ever seen before – and still, they found a way to excel. I am extremely proud of each 2021 Georgia Scholar and can’t wait to see what this outstanding group of students accomplishes.”

The Georgia Scholar program is managed by GaDOE’s Excellence Recognition office and through local coordinators in each public school system and private schools throughout the state.