Tuesday, February 11, magnet senior Maksymillain “Maks” Bardwell received recognition for his outstanding achievements as a student intellectual. Each year, high schools in Cobb County celebrate their highest-achieving student through the Professional Association of Georgia Educators’s (PAGE) Student Teacher Achievement Recognition (STAR) program. STAR honors one high school senior at each school who received the highest score on the SAT.
Bardwell, a talented magnet Warrior in NC’s international studies program (NCSIS), exemplifies his intelligence through his schedule. He has participated in classes of varying rigor and topics throughout his four years. Advanced Placement (AP) classes, which NCSIS requires, have allowed Bardwell to expand his academia in areas such as AP Research, AP Seminar and, Bardwell’s favorite, AP Comparative Government and Politics.
As part of the STAR student ceremony, each recipient chose one teacher who has impacted their high school experience positively. Bardwell’s chosen teacher featured none other than NC’s own AP Comparative Government and Politics teacher Carolyn Galloway. Bardwell chose Galloway due to her passion for the subject and her overall kindness and charm as an educator, which further reinforced his love for the class.
“She has a lot of personality and she has this flare and depth of knowledge that really made the class more enjoyable. I already like the subject, but I think Ms. Galloway elevates it to a whole new level. I think it’s probably my favorite class out of all high school, so she was a definite pick,” Bardwell said.
The senior’s interest in school has caused him to thrive in an academically rigorous and challenging environment, which is reflected in his academic scores. The STAR program recognizes students who score the highest out of other seniors in their school on the SAT in one sitting. Once school officials received scores of all their senior attendees, Bardwell’s whopping score of 1520 stood out among the rest. Though he received the notification of his winning before winter break, the ceremony finally provided him the acclaim he deserved as an exceptional scholar.
Bardwell only took the SAT once, where his natural academia shone through in the assessment. His preparation consisted of only one practice test, but the knowledge he acquired throughout his schooling career helped him to shine bright as a STAR student.
While this achievement holds high for Bardwell, he remains humble even through the recognition. He sees the score as a feat to celebrate, but not one that holds him in higher esteem. Bardwell also engages in numerous activities around NC, such as Model United Nations (MUN), Swim and Dive, Beta Club and National Honors Society (NHS). Not only does he remain involved academically, but he also has participated in Scouting America since the first grade. These activities, along with his numerous volunteering experiences, help him to stay involved in his community and form connections with his peers, which only amplify his success.
“I mean I was a little surprised at first. But it was something nice that was just unique to me that stood out. But I didn’t put too much into it. I didn’t think of it as the greatest thing in the world… I think it’s an interesting thing to focus on, the highest SAT score. I thought it was interesting that one specific moment was the defining trait. Like on college applications, you have a whole holistic review but it was sort of a systematic pick. I just thought it was interesting,” Bardwell said.
Bardwell’s activities prove his versatility as a student and only reaffirm why PAGE chose him as a STAR student. The Chant congratulates Bardwell on this astounding success and wishes him all the luck as he pursues higher education.
