Gracen Wiggins ’19 has been named as Rabun Gap-Nacoochee School’s STAR student for the class of 2019. Wiggins chose Upper School humanities teacher Chip Miller as STAR teacher.
The Student-Teacher Achievement Recognition Program, organized by the Professional Association of Georgia Educators, honors the state’s top-achieving seniors and their inspirational teachers. To secure the STAR nomination, high school seniors must have the highest score of the SAT taken and be in the top-10 percent or top 10 students of their class based on GPA.
“It is a great honor to be named the STAR student,” said Wiggins. “I feel it signifies the benefits that arise from taking full advantage of the educational opportunities given. I have lived in five states and thus attended many contrasting schools. By taking full advantage of the opportunities provided in each season of life, my academic perspective has broadened immensely.”
“When Gracen joined our community last year, she immediately began to stand out as an incredible student,” said Head of School Dr. Anthony Sgro. “We are so proud of her for earning the STAR student honor.”
Wiggins began attending Rabun Gap after moving to the area in January 2018. In addition to her academic success, Wiggins, of Franklin, North Carolina, is very active on Rabun Gap’s campus, participating in track, basketball, and theatre. She’s also a prefect, a student leader for the Christian Student Initiative group and the student body secretary. Her favorite subject is Bible and world religions.
“I love this subject because it allows me to explore the myriad cultures of the world through common themes everyone shares. This class has a great impact on my daily life and opens my eyes to God’s presence and love more every day,” Wiggins said.
Miller is an Upper School humanities teacher and has been teaching at Rabun Gap since 2015. He teaches AP Government, AP Micro/Macro Economics and Honors Government. In his time at Rabun Gap, he has coached girls JV basketball, boy’s middle school basketball, golf, tennis, and football.
“I chose Dr. Miller as the STAR teacher because the life experiences he brings to class transcend any regular textbook teaching,” Wiggins said. “He has always encouraged me inside and outside of the classroom, and I am thankful to call him one of my best friends on campus.”
“Gracen is such a unique student. She has this ability to draw people to her – they see her humble spirit, a person who accepts you unconditionally,” said Miller. “When I coached her in basketball, she was so well received by her peers – that stood out to me. I taught her AP Econ last year; she is a hard worker. If she doesn’t understand a concept, she’s not afraid to ask a question. She’s just an ideal student; She’s very respectful, and fun – she has a great sense of humor and laughs easily. Her peers love her and respect her. I’m a lucky guy to be her teacher.”
Wiggins has applied to a number of liberal arts colleges and is still waiting to hear back from them. She hopes to attend school in the Southeast.
“I am interested in both political science and ophthalmology (very different, I know) and hopefully combining one of those careers with mission work,” said Wiggins.
