Newspaper Page Text
February 2,2022
Page 3A
S&S8&
Reporter
STARS
Continued from 2A
activities include riding
horses and being outside.
She has dogs, chickens and
cats.
“I love all animals,” she
said.
Marlee said she also loves
school and the opportuni
ties it gives her to learn new
things. She is a leader in
the Mary Persons Biology
Club and a Vice President
in FBLA. She tutors weekly
as a member of the Mary
Persons Math Club, Mu
Alpha Theta. She said she
enjoys working with FBLA
community service proj
ects, like the food drive and
fundraisers.
She chose Williams as her
STAR teacher because she
feels like she has learned so
much from her classes.
“She makes the topic
interesting. I have always
loved math, but now even
more,” Marlee said. “She
also has a sense of humor
and is willing to be there
for students, willing to
talk.”
Maradeth has narrowed
her college choice down to
Berry College in Rome, Ga.
and University of the South
in Sewanee, Tenn. She
plans to earn a dual degree
in engineering and both
schools offer programs
where she would complete
three years of undergradu
ate study and then transfer
to a school with a special
ized engineering program.
She has qualified to be
on the equestrian team at
either school.
Maradeth said she has
always enjoyed math. She
took two of her classes for
high school English credit
through dual enrollment at
Gordon College and feels
those classes helped her do
well on the language arts
portion of the SAT.
Maradeth is the daughter
STAR students Marlee Coffman, left, and Maradeth
Leverett and STAR teacher Sara Williams, center wait for
everyone to get together for pictures.
STAR teacher Wanda Pope
gives Maradeth Leverett a
hug.
of Mike and Karen Lev
erett. She has one sister,
Marcelene, who is a sopho
more at Berry. Two impor
tant parts of her life outside
of academics are horseback
riding and running cross
country & track. Her father
taught her to ride when
she was three. She has two
horses, “Fried Rice” and
“Won Ton.” Won Ton is a
retired racehorse that she is
training for a second career.
Maradeth has been a part
of the 4-H Horse Club
since she was in 9th grade
and has enjoyed seeing it
gain momentum.
She went out for cross
country at the suggestion of
her middle school language
arts teacher and found it
rewarding both in the good
friends she made and in
seeing herself improve her
performance as she trained.
“It’s an awesome part of
my life,” said Maradeth.
“It teaches character and
dedication.”
She is the 2021-22 presi
dent of the Mary Persons
BETA Club, which she said
is “a great way to connect
with peers while serving
the community’’
Maradeth chose Pope as
her STAR teacher because
she was “a very inspiring
mentor at a very forma
tive part of my life.” She
appreciates how dedicated
Pope is to teaching and also
appreciates the personal
interest she takes in her
students.
Pope is retired, and
counselors at Mary Persons
worked hard to get Pope
to campus under false
pretenses so they could
surprise her with the STAR
teacher announcement.
They succeeded, and her
shock and delight made
their efforts worthwhile.
“I retired after 45 years,
and I loved every min
ute,” said Pope. “I had my
students for several years
and got so attached. They
become your children.”
She said she taught in
Monroe County Schools
for eight years after teach
ing in Bibb County for 23
years and in New Mexico
and Missouri before that.
Pope said Project SOAR is
a good program and she
tried to make the most of
the time she had with the
students even though she
only had them one day
per week. She focused on
motivating the students
and teaching them to solve
problems.
“This is such a wonderful
surprise and so meaning
ful,” she said.
This is Williams 16th year
of teaching, with the last 14
years at Mary Persons. She
said she appreciates how
hard the students work in
the upper level math classes
she teaches because there is
so much content to cover.
She said the class that in
cludes Marlee and Mara
deth has a good chemistry
working together and a
good work ethic, which
makes her job easier.
“It’s not me, it’s them,” she
said. “They make it what
it is.
She said said she consid
ers it a compliment when
students who have already
been in her class for two
years sign up for her class
the third year.
“I’d take a classroom of
Marlees,” said Williams.
“She works hard and she’s
also willing to laugh at
herself and learn from her
mistakes.
PAGE (Professional
Association of Georgia
Educators) sponsors the
STAR program state-wide.
A STAR student and
teacher from each region in
Georgia compete to be the
Georgia STARs. Monroe
County is in Region 6,
which includes 19 other
school systems. There are
11 regions in Georgia, and
the competition includes
private as well as public
school students.
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