Cass High School’s very own Rosejane Ayers was recently awarded the Georgia Department of Education Star English Learner Award. Only three awards were given, and Ayers was one of the recipients. Bartow County is part of Zone II which consists of twenty-five school districts being represented, meaning she had a one-in-twelve chance to be selected. Ayers, however, was more than deserving of the award.

Her personal philosophy is “if better is possible, good is not enough.” She embraces a desire to learn in all areas, whether it be algebra or US history or anything in between, despite moving to a new country right in the thick of her high school career. Her family immigrated to the United States from The Republic of the Philippines in April of 2017, only months before the start of her junior year. For many, this would be a frightening transition, but for Ayers, she conquered the challenge head-on, claiming “there was no time to waste.” Cass High School’s ESOL (English to Speakers of Other Languages) teacher, Bill Johnson, says, “Any teacher who has had Rosejane in class knows the look of determination on her face as she tackles a new problem and her triumphant smile as she masters a new concept.”

After graduating in the Class of 2019, Ayers plans to major in biology at a four-year university, before going on to get a medical degree and achieving her dreams of being a doctor. Johnson commented, “Rosejane does not have modest goals. [However], those of us who know

Rosejane hasno doubt that she is up to the task.” Ayers clearly has a motivation that is rarely seen today. According to her, “Better is always possible.”

On behalf of Cass High School, we congratulate Ayers on this stupendous accomplishment and cannot wait to see what she achieves in the future.