2020 STAR Student and Teacher

2020 STAR Student and Teacher
Posted on 03/02/2020
Teacher, student, and principalLowndes High School is pleased to announce that Daniel Cseh has been named the 2020 STAR Student. The Student Teacher Achievement Recognition (STAR) program honors Georgia's highest achieving high school seniors and the teachers who have been most instrumental in their academic development.  To obtain the STAR nomination, high school seniors must have the highest score on any single test date of the SAT taken through the November test date of their senior year and be in the top 10 percent or top 10 students of their class based on grade point average. Daniel qualified with a score of 1500 on a single test date.  However, his super score (a combination of the highest score from each section on multiple test dates) was a 1530 which included a perfect score on the math section.  
 
Daniel plans to major in neuroscience and possibly double-major in computer science.  He has been accepted to Georgia Institute of Technology, and is waiting to hear back from Emory University, Dartmouth College, and Brown University before he makes his final decision.  
 
Daniel is very active at Lowndes High School.  He serves as President of Mu Alpha Theta, the school’s Math Club, and is on the Varsity Math Team. He is also the Captain of the Varsity Swim Team. He participated in Mock Trial during his sophomore year, and won an Outstanding Performance award in a state-level competition. Daniel is a member of the 2020 Class Cabinet and Beta Club.  His other accomplishments include: Governor’s Honors Program Finalist in the field of Mathematics, AP Scholar, and Georgia Certificate of Merit Recipient. Outside of school, he frequently volunteers at the Second Harvest of South Georgia and tutors other students  in his free time.
 
Daniel chose Mrs. Christina DiTomasso as his STAR Teacher.  Mrs. Di, as her students call her, has been teaching for 22 years. Twelve of those have been at Lowndes High School. This is her third time being named STAR Teacher. Daniel said, “I chose Mrs. Di as my Star teacher for many reasons. Mrs. Di was my AP Statistics teacher.  She also runs the math club and math team, which is how I originally met her. Not only was she a phenomenal instructor, but she was like a mentor to me. She always treated every situation - school related or not - with her full care and respect. She is compassionate and understanding. Her overall ray of positivity and optimism has not only influenced me, but also everyone she is around. She is a teacher that I can always count on to give me her honest opinion. She is dedicated to helping and being there for others. Through getting on to me when I messed up, to pushing me to become a better person inside and outside of the classroom, Mrs. Di has instilled in me the importance of personal responsibility, hard work, and respect. Over the past 4 years, she has stood out as more than a teacher, but also a friend and someone that will not always take my side, but take the side that will help mold me into a better overall person. I cannot thank her enough for what she has done. For reasons like these and many more, Mrs. DiTomasso is my Star Teacher.”
 
When asked about Daniel, Mrs. DiTomasso had this to say.  “Daniel Cseh is a phenomenal student and a dynamic individual. Not only did he have the highest SAT score in a single sitting from all students at LHS (no easy feat), but he also scored a perfect score on the math section. Daniel has been a member of LHS Mu Alpha Theta (our chapter of the national math honors' society) since his freshman year, and I have watched him grow in his confidence and in his problem solving skills during this time. He currently serves as the president of our organization, so we work closely in organizing events such as the elementary and middle school competitions we host each year. Daniel also placed individually in the varsity category at the VSU competition this year (out of about 65 participating students). Daniel's talents and interests in mathematics earned him a spot at GHP this past summer. Only the top students in the state are selected to participate in the Governor's Honors Program, so this was a huge accolade and one that Daniel was quite proud to receive. He contacted me once he returned to share his enthusiasm about the program. He was excited to incorporate what he'd learned into our Friday math team practices. One of my favorite of Daniel's many awesome attributes is his passion for learning. He is constantly challenging himself with new problems to solve and ideas to ponder. Math is not Daniel's only talent. This young man currently maintains a 4.4 GPA, is the captain of the varsity swim team, and recently competed and placed in Mock Trial at the state level. Not only is he brilliant and athletic, but he is down-to-earth and kind-hearted. No doubt about it, this is just the beginning of all the remarkable accomplishments to come for Daniel Cseh.”
 
Daniel will advance to compete for the Region STAR Student Recognition.  
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