Five Students Named 2026 PAGE STAR Region 3A Winners

ATLANTA—Five students and their teachers have been selected as Professional Association of Georgia Educators (PAGE) Student Teacher Achievement Recognition (STAR) Region 3A winners for 2026.

The announcement was made on March 12 at a luncheon hosted by Georgia State University’s College of Education & Human Development (CEHD).

Region winners include:

• Walton High School senior Sean Dalton and his STAR Teacher, Allen Hubbard
• The Westminster Schools senior Samanyu Ganesh and his STAR Teacher, Lina Ellis
• Pace Academy senior Dominic Hantula and his STAR Teacher, Jason Smith
• Chattahoochee High School senior Bruce Hester and his STAR teacher, Lori Buonamici
• Riverwood International Charter School senior Alan Marhic and his STAR teacher, Charles Germano

The PAGE STAR program, in its 68th year, is sponsored, administered and promoted by the Professional Association of Georgia Educators. Since its creation in 1958, the STAR program has honored nearly 30,500 students and the teachers selected as the most influential to their academic achievement. To obtain the 2026 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.

STAR begins each year in participating high schools throughout Georgia when the STAR Student is named and chooses a STAR Teacher to share in this recognition. The students and their teachers are honored by their schools and receive special recognition in their communities from one of the more than 170 statewide civic organizations and businesses that serve as local sponsors of the STAR program. 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. STAR Teachers continue on with their STAR Students at every level of the program.

"We are very proud of these students and teachers and the academic excellence they exemplify," said Carla Tanguay, CEHD assistant dean for educator preparation and accreditation.

The Professional Association of Georgia Educators honors outstanding students and educators and encourages academic excellence through competitive academic initiatives such as PAGE STAR, the PAGE Academic Bowl for Middle Grades and the PAGE Georgia Academic Decathlon.

Photo caption: STAR Students selected to compete at the state level pose for a photo with their STAR Teachers during the Professional Association of Georgia Educators (PAGE) Student Teacher Achievement Recognition (STAR) Region 3A Luncheon on March 12 at Georgia State University. Top row (left to right): Craig Harper, PAGE executive director; STAR teacher Charles Germano; STAR teacher Jason Smith; Jo Breedlove-Johnson, PAGE membership services representative; STAR teacher Allan Hubbard and STAR teacher Lina Ellis. Bottom row (left to right): STAR students Alan Marhic, Dominic Hantula, Sean Dalton and Samanyu Ganesh. Not pictured: STAR student Bruce Hester and his STAR teacher, Lori Buonamici. (Photo credit: Shay Richards)