NEWTON COUNTY – The Newton County School System has announced its top 10 class of 2024 graduates for each of their three high schools.

The graduates listed are in alphabetical order for each school

Alcovy High School

• Jhavel Allen – Jhavel plans to attend Fort Valley State University to major in veterinary science. She selected Mrs. Kelly Elder as her top teacher.

• Jaffet Arrendondo Mendoza – Jaffet has is undecided on which college to attend although he does plan to major in electrical engineering. He selected Mr. Brian Coates as his top teacher.

• Lynda Coots – Lynda plans to attend Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) to major in art. She selected Mrs. Heather Hendreson as her top teacher.

• Henry Diaz – Henry plans to attend Mercer University to major in pharmacy. He selected Mr. Mack Hardwick as his top teacher.

• Jakobi Johnson – Jakobi plans to attend Kennesaw State University to major in computer science. He selected Mr. Joseph Pousada as his top teacher.

• Justin Johnson – Justin plans to attend Augusta University to obtain a doctor of nursing practitioner. He selected Mrs. Felisha Wagner as his top teacher.

• Tania Menchaca – Tania, the valedictorian, plans to attend Kennesaw State University to major in either biology or biotechnology. She selected Mrs. Laura Lambert as her top teacher.

• Joshua Moreland – Joshua plans to attend the University of West Georgia. He has not selected a major yet. Joshua selected Mr. Charles Ardis as his top teacher.

• Lenaya Turnbull – Lenaya, the salutatorian, plans to attend Xavier University and major in Spanish and psychology pre-medicine. She selected Mrs. Kristen Bagwell as her top teacher.

• Ella Whitehead – Ella will embark on mission work out of the country for a gap year before attending Duke University. She selected Dr. Allisa Abraham as her top teacher. 

Eastside High School

• Layna Cher – Layna plans to attend Clemson University to obtain a degree in education. Her career goal is to teach high school history. She chose Mrs. Kelly Shaughnessy as her top teacher.

• Megan Ellington – Megan plans to attend the University of North Georgia and major in photography with a minor in marketing. Her career goal is to become a missionary photographer. She selected Ms. Kemily Pattillo as her top teacher.

• Gabe Guerrero – Gabe plans to attend the University of Georgia to obtain a master’s in mechanical engineering. He selected Mr. Dennis Jones as his top teacher.

• Lauren Hall – Lauren plans to attend Clemson University and major in nursing. She selected Ms. Kayla Stoddard as her top teacher.

• Hannah Holcombe – Hannah plans to attend Georgia Southern University in the fall and major in finance. She selected Ms. Ashlyn Lazenby as her top teacher.

• Emma Grace Lumpkin – Emma Grace plans to major in mechanical engineering at Georgia Tech as a member of the Honors Program. She hopes to pursue a career in the field of mechanical engineering after graduation. She selected Mr. Ryan Allred as her top teacher.

• Colin McGowan – Colin plans to attend the Terry College of Business at the University of Georgia with a focus in accounting. He selected Ms. Haley Dawkins as his top teacher.

• Jordan Nealy – Jordan, the salutatorian, plans to attend Clemson University with a major in biology on the pre-med track. After college she hopes to attend either a medical or PA School to become either an orthopedist or orthopedic physician’s assistant. She selected Ms. Lin Kerr as her top teacher.

• Emma Oftedal – Emma, the valedictorian, plans to attend a four-year university to major in English Literature. She eventually would like to enter the world of book editing and publishing. She selected Mr. Eric Adams as her top teacher.

• Lila Whitmire – Lila plans to attend either Emory University or Mercer University to obtain a Bachelor of Science in nursing with a minor in classics. She would like to become a nurse anesthetist. Lila selected Mr. Michael Poor as her top teacher.

Newton High School

• Huda Asker – Huda, the 2024 salutatorian, hopes to attend either Emory University, Georgia State University, or Johns Hopkins University to major in either biology or public health with a focus on pre-med. She plans to become a doctor. She selected Ms. Shundra Green as her top teacher.

• Tre’von Davis – Tre’von, the 2024 valedictorian, will attend either Clemson University, Emory University, or Oxford College of Emory University to pursue a double major in business and computer science. He hopes to become a web developer and future entrepreneur. He chose Dr. Allisa Abraham as his top teacher.

• Madison Forsythe – Madison plans to pursue a study abroad opportunity in Hue, Vietnam before attending Emory University in the fall. She plans to major in biology on the pre-med track with the goal of attending medical school to become a pulmonologist. She chose Ms. Roberta Axson as her top teacher.

• Taje’ George – Taje’ plans to major in civil engineering at either Spelman College, Georgia Tech, or Columbia University. Her goal is to receive a doctorate. Taje’ chose Mr. Jason Smith as her top teacher.

• Savannah Jones – Savannah plans to attend either MIT or Georgia Tech to major in civil engineering with a potential minor in environmental law. She chose Ms. Trina Burroughs as her top teacher.

• Kennedi Leary – Kennedi plans to attend either Georgia Southern, Howard University, or Louisiana State University to purse a major in animation and digital media. Her goal is to become either an animator or concept artist. Kennedi chose Dr. Victoria Lockhart as her top teacher.

• Ngan Nguyen – Ngan plans to attend Georgia Tech in the fall to major in biomedical engineering on a pre-dental track. She wants to pursue dental school and become an orthodontist. Ngan selected Ms. Fiona Spence as her top teacher.

• Kayla Parsons – Kayla plans to attend Georgia Southern University and major in biology. After earning her bachelor’s degree, she hopes to continue her education at Augusta University’s Dental College of Georgia and earn her Doctor of Dental Medicine degree. Kayla selected Chef Scott Quinlan as her top teacher.

• Hailey Quinn – Hailey will attend Kennesaw State University to major in early childhood education with the goal of becoming an elementary school teacher. Hailey selected Mrs. Jasmen Moore as her top teacher.

• Nolan Stanfield – Nolan plans to attend either the United States Naval Academy, the United States Military Academy at Westpoint, Morehouse College, or Georgia Tech. He would like to major in either cyber security or aerospace engineering with a career goal of becoming an officer in the United States military and work at the Pentagon. Nolan selected Mr. Duane Williams as his top teacher.