Starr's Mill

High School senior Chad Troop is surprised, and why not? He's been named

one of 140 Presidential Scholars out of 2.8 million students nationwide.

Troop is one

of three from Georgia to receive the honor, Secretary of State Linda Schrenko

announced Wednesday.

"To be

named a Presidential Scholar is one of the nation's highest honors in

academic achievement for high school students," said Schrenko.

Troop is the

first Fayette County public school student ever to receive the award.

A private school student from Peachtree City won it last year.

From nearly

2.8 million graduating high school seniors, approximately 2,600 are identified

as candidates for the program based on SAT and ACT scores, and that number

is narrowed to 500 semifinalists.

The Commission

on Presidential Scholars selects the winners on the basis of their accomplishments

in academic and artistic success, leadership and involvement in school

and community.

That involvement

for Troop includes being president of Peachtree City's Youth Advisory

Board, as well as being on the National Honor Society and Beta Club in

school and playing recreational basketball and school soccer, running

track and cross country and being on the varsity academic team.

"It was

a huge surprise to me," said Troop after receiving the news Wednesday.

"It's incredible to be part of such a select group of students. I'm

really honored to be a part of that."

Troop is a

product of Fayette County schools, having attended here from first grade

on up. His family moved here when he was a young child.

"I've

had great teachers all throughout," he said. "Fayette County

schools have been great."

Among those

teachers is Dr. Bob Covel, Troop's advanced placement English teacher,

who will accompany Troop to Washington for a week of recognition in late

June, named the youth's "most influential teacher."

"He was

just a great role model, and incredible person and an inspiration,"

said Troop.

After being

identified as a candidate, Troop said, he filled out an application, followed

activities, community involvement and "if I had ten minutes of time

on national television, what would I say."

On that last

one, Troop said he expounded on how he would encourage greater participation

in government.

Next on Troop's

agenda is a few years at Duke University, where he will probably go into

biology and premed, he said. "I'd like to be some type of surgeon,

or possibly do medical research, developing new drugs," he said,

"but that's a long way off, and I'm sure I'll change it plenty of

times."

The U.S. Presidential

Scholars Program was established in 1964 by executive order of the president

to recognize and honor some of the nation's most distinguished graduating

high school seniors. In 1979, the program was extended to recognize students

who demonstrate exceptional talent in visual, creative and performing

arts.

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