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This year a record 38 schools participated in the Mahaffey Orthodontics All Smiles Award. After last year’s award was canceled due to COVID-19, even more schools were looking for a reason to celebrate their students, especially those that put a smile on the face of others.
The All Smiles Award was created by Dr. Mike Mahaffey to recognize good attitude and character in students in grades 4 through 8. Typically chosen by their teachers, All Smiles winners are students who make others around them smile. Mahaffey Orthodontics gives a $100 gift card to each award winner as well as a certificate. Mahaffey Orthodontics also gave each elementary school $200 and each middle school $300 to put toward awards day programs.
“Our kids have been through a very tough year. I’m impressed with their resiliency and the great attitudes we’ve seen from so many students. This is the opportunity to recognize a few of those that made an impression on their teachers and the staff,” said Dr. Mahaffey.
School administrators appreciated the opportunity to encourage their students. Principal Heidi Pfannenstiel from Huddleston Elementary wrote, “Thank you. They really were thrilled to be recognized.”
“Thanks again for doing something special for our kids and our school. We really appreciate it!” said Jennifer Whetstone, the Principal of Willis Road Elementary School.
Crista Alarcon-Suarez won the All Smiles Award for 7th Grade at Rising Starr Middle School. She said about the All Smiles Award, “It was an exciting experience, because I was sitting there and I really didn’t expect to get it. It made me so happy.”
As it happens, Crista is also a Mahaffey Orthodontics patient. “I’ve had braces for a couple years now and the staff there is just amazing. It was really exciting for me to be one of the only people who is a Mahaffey patient who has gotten it. I went to an appointment a couple days later, and Dr. Mahaffey was there and he congratulated me, and he was very, very proud of me.”
Crista’s mom Lorena also loves the experience she’s gotten at Mahaffey Orthodontics. “When Crista started she was nine and we looked at different orthodontists. Dr. Mahaffey was just wonderful—him and his team. She needed to lose some teeth, and her mouth needed to be a little more mature, so she got her braces at age 10. She’s almost at the end of her second stage, and we love Dr. Mahaffey and his staff. He’s so honest. He cares for the children, and the parents and the right moment for the kids to get treatment. I always recommend Dr. Mahaffey.”
Lorena was also thrilled about Crista’s Mahaffey Orthodontics All Smiles Award win, “When Crista came home, she was so happy, because it’s a big award. Getting the award means you are a kind person, a good leader.”
Parents looking to schedule a free consultation regarding braces to help their child love his or her smile are encouraged to call Mahaffey Orthodontics at 770-487-6439 or visit peachtreecitybraces.com.
All Smiles Winners 2021
Coweta County, Elementary
Arbor Springs: 5th Jordan Bowers; Canongate: 4th Landry Mason, 5th Carter Horton; Poplar Road: 5th Kimberly Banks, Clayton Moye; Thomas Crossroads: 4th Aliya Gasser, 5th Isabella Slate; Welch: 4th Harper Denney, 5th Mya Bustamante; White Oak: 4th Addi Inman, 5th Kylie Barnes; Willis Road: 4th Parker Stalons, 5th Emma Cook
Coweta County, Middle
Arnall: 6th Sahara Roberts, 7th Cayden Rice, 8th Luciano Lepoma; East Coweta: 6th Lacee Mayfield, 7th Sarah Grace Patrick, 8th Makayla Keith; Lee: 6th Olivia Howell, 7th Katlynn Scheibe, 8th Mykayla Smith
Fayette County, Elementary
Braelinn: 5th Callie Kosko, Laney Purcer; Cleveland: 4th Adrielle Rufenacht, Lily Meritt, 5th Natalie Winfrey, Isa Hilou; Crabapple Lane: 5th Leighton Koff; Fayetteville: 5th Autumn Canby-Pratt, Elizabeth Wade;
Huddleston: 4th Raygen Lewis, 5th Louisa Patterson; Inman: 4th Nicole Dougherty, 5th Bryce Westlund; Kedron: 5th Julian Love, Gabrielle Fife; North Fayette: 5th Somara Laurent, Kamryn Smith; Oak Grove: 4th Delanie Griffith, 5th Tiana Juarez-Villagomez;
Peachtree City: 4th Chloe Byun, 5th Esther Kim; Peeples: 4th Victoria Gomez, 5th Jamonte Robinson; Robert J Burch: 5th Journey Joyner; Sara Harp Minter: 5th Jonathan De La Cruz, Makayla Carney; Spring Hill Elementary: 5th Karli Johnson
Fayette County, Middle
Bennett’s Mill: 6th Mosheen Virani, 7th Kiran Yates, 8th Hezekiah Strickland; Flat Rock: 6th Jayden Amos, 7th Nydia Lewis, 8th Kerline Clark; JC Booth: 6th Hayden Adams, 7th Anthony “Coby” Fink, 8th Reagan Sangster; Rising Starr: 6th Ruby French, 7th Crista Alarcon-Suarez, 8th Jared Moore
Pike County
Elementary: 4th Julianna Brown, 5th Franki Newsted; Middle: 6th Bowen James Cochran, Eliza Camille Huber, 7th Randall Ray Blackwelder, Serenity Addyson Richmond, 8th Thomas Eugene Walker, Jessie Kate Jeffcoat
Charter and Private Schools
Coweta Charter Academy: 4th Jade Amoroso, 5th Khloe Schleton, 6th Tatum Nungessor, 7th Isabella Neal, 8th Lily Fox; Liberty Tech Charter: 4th Brantley Lewis, 5th Rubi Cruz, 6th Parth Patel, 7th Kayla Hickson, 8th Malachi Parker;
Central Christian: 4th Gracen Couch, 5th Sara Peaden, 6th Riley King, 7th Jonathan Kirk, 8th Blake Alford; Crosspointe Christian: 4th Jonah Darby, 5th Cheyanne Williamson, 6th Elizabeth Morrison, 7th Beckham Cohran, 8th Aslyn Hoard;
Landmark Christian: 6th Taylor Clark, 7th Lucy O’Rourke, 8th Julianne McAteer; St. Paul Lutheran: 4th Slade Smith, 5th Samantha Dietrich, 6th Julia Heil, 7th Timothy Tigue, 8th Madeline Rigelman;
The Bedford School: 4th Brennan Johnson, 5th Kaleb Sherrell, 6th Reese Townsend, 7th Katie Dickens, 8th Colin Smith; Trinity Christian: 4th Hamilton Houston, 5th Lila Chitwood, 6th Daisy Hill, 7th Denver Price, 8th Jack Mullen
