Kai Callaway, a senior at Tattnall County High School (TCHS), has been named 2023-2024 PAGE STAR Student for Tattnall County High School.  He is the son of Hicks Callaway and Ihori Kameyama of Claxton.  Kai selected his seventh-grade teacher, Ms. Sherri Aly, as his STAR teacher.  Kai and Ms. Aly will be honored guests at the Glennville Rotary Club on Wednesday, March 20, 2024.  They will also attend a regional ceremony at Georgia Southern University on March 12. 

The Professional Association of Georgia Educators (PAGE) Foundation, the Georgia Chamber of Commerce, the Georgia Department of Education, as well as the Glennville Rotary Club, are the sponsoring entities  for the PAGE Student Teacher Achievement Recognition (STAR) program. Since its inception, the STAR program has honored many 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 a single test date on the SAT and be in the top 10 percent of their class.

Kai Callaway has been involved in several clubs and activities throughout his high school experience.  He is a member of the Future Business Leaders of America Club (FBLA), Beta Club, E-Sports, and Soccer.  Kai is a member of Technology Students Association (TSA), where he films the TCHS Warriors’ Football team.  Kai has received all Microsoft certifications and made a score of 5 (the highest possible score) on the AP exam in Computer Science and United States History.  He is enrolled in the dual enrollment program where he will have completed 27 hours towards his college degree.  Kai plans to attend Georgia Southern University after graduation. 

Ms. Sherri Aly is Kai’s STAR Teacher.  She has two children, with one, Ms. Rachel Jones, a teacher at North Tattnall Middle School.  Ms. Aly has taught in the United States for 16 years.  She earned her degree in English Secondary Education, Special Education, ELL, and Gifted Endorsement from Armstrong Atlantic State University and Georgia Southern University.    Over the course of her career, she taught seventh-grade English, ninth-grade Literature, and eleventh-grade American Literature. She has also been the Beta Club Sponsor.    

Mrs. Aly shared the following statement about Kai.  “Kai is a student I will always remember because of how unique he was. I taught Kai in the seventh-grade honors/gifted ELA class and what I most remember about him is how incredibly bright and articulate he was. Kai was always very quiet and reserved, but when he would open up and talk, he was a most interesting young man, with a very different backstory, compared to his peers.”  Ms. Aly expressed that she was surprised to be chosen as STAR teacher, especially from a student that had her five years ago in seventh grade.  

“While teachers are often nominated for various awards and given recognition by their peers and administration, for me, being chosen by a student means far more.  This validates a teacher’s hope that we can and do make a difference in a student’s life,” said Ms. Aly.

Congratulations, Kai and Ms. Aly!