Eight outstanding high school seniors and their teachers were honored Wednesday at the Rotary Club of Columbus meeting in the Columbus Convention & Trade Center.

They were honored as STAR students and teachers for Muscogee County. The PAGE Student Teacher Achievement Recognition (STAR) program, in its 55th year, is sponsored by the Professional Association of Georgia Educators (PAGE) Foundation, the Georgia Chamber of Commerce and the Georgia Department of Education.

Since its inception, the STAR program has honored more than 23,500 students and the teachers they have selected as having had the most influence on their academic achievement. To obtain the STAR nomination, high school seniors must have the highest score on a single test date on the three-part SAT and be in the top 10 percent or top 10 students of their class, based on grade-point average.

The STAR students and their teachers are honored in their schools and receive special recognition in their communities from more than 165 statewide civic organizations and businesses that serve as local sponsors of the STAR program. Students then compete for school system titles, and those winners compete for region honors. Region winners compete for the honor of being named state's PAGE STAR student.

Ashka Patel of Columbus High is the Muscogee County winner. Her STAR teacher is Mark Erb.

The Rotary Club of Columbus is sponsoring the local STAR program for the 20th consecutive year. The club also is in its third year of sponsoring the Region 5 STAR recognition, which will be March 14 in Columbus.

2013 STAR Students and Teachers for Muscogee CountyBrookstone

Student: James Hillenbrand

Teacher: James East

Calvary Christian

Student: Delaney Harrison

Teacher: Bobby Williamson

Columbus

Student: Ashka Patel*

Teacher: Mark Erb*

Hardaway

Student: Kristen Wright

Teacher: Vincent Sneed

Jordan

Student: Ashley Bauer

Teacher: Joe Pollock

Northside

Student: MJ Irvin

Teacher: Tamara Garner

Pacelli

Student: Marisa Nunez

Teacher: Jeff Chardos

Shaw

Student: Alaya Martin

Teacher: Stephanie Fuerte

*System winners