Hightower's Names Citizens of the Month for September

Jude Thornton from Alexander High School; Samuel Morris, from Chapel Hill High School; Patrick Hall from Douglas County High School; Paola Garcia Rodriguez, from Lithia Springs High School; and Austin Robinson, from New Manchester High School, have been named citizens of the month for September by Hightower's Memorial Chapel.

Hightower's Memorial Chapel's Outstanding Citizen Program names one high school student from each of Douglas County's high schools each month.

"Our goal is to enrich the lives of our young people who are preparing to exit high school and enter a whole new world," reads a press release from Hightower's.

"We created the Outstanding Citizen Program to recognize those seniors in Douglas County Schools who represent Honesty, Integrity, Character and Good Will. The program does not emphasize excellence in grades; however, the importance of the pursuit of good grades, we feel, is essential in a young person’s education. We want to broaden the requirements for recognition by allowing someone who represents himself or herself as a good student, honest and hardworking, stays out of trouble, participates in school and in the community as well as someone who maintains a minimum of a ‘C’ average.  

Some students try very hard, are willing to help out when there is a need and are overall outstanding citizens, but may not get noticed or recognized, the program notes. 

"We do feel that recognizing students who make all ‘A’s’ is important and those students deserve recognition beyond any doubt. Our program is for those students, or citizens, who possess character, integrity, trust-worthiness and honesty and are sometimes not recognized for being who they are and for giving of themselves to good causes, community activities and various other charitable causes, while keeping grades up as best as they are physically and mentally able," reads the release.