Academics propel Gray scholarship winners

’s Jiby Yohannan and ’s Megan Zhang are each ranked in the top five of their respective senior classes.

Their academic efforts, along withother merits, helped them, as well as McEachern’s Justine McLeoud, to win $1,500 scholarships in the eighth annual Betty Gray Teacher Education Scholarships at a recent luncheon held at Roswell Street Baptist Church. The three scholarships were awarded to seniors at the three high schools within the Cobb County Board of Education’s Post 3 who “anticipate the possibility of a teaching career,” Gray said.

“I am proud of all three candidates because whatever career they get in, success is a given,” Gray told South Cobb Patch. Gray, 77, spent more than 50 years as a Cobb County educator and served 16 years on the Board of Education.

Yohannan, 17, is still deciding between attending Georgia Tech or the University of Georgia. His 4.596 grade-point average currently leads South Cobb’s 441-student senior class.

“I have a chance at 95 percent (scholarship) coverage,” Yohannan said of gaining admittance into UGA’s honors program.

Yohannan, whose favorite subjects are biology and biochemistry, plans to become an educator after he works as a physician. He said South Cobb teacher Dr. Donald Gutstein, who worked in medicine before becoming a teacher, helped inspire him to think about working as a teacher after his physician work.

The youngest of two children, Yohannan's parents emigrated from India in 1978, Yohannan was instructed early that hard work and education would pay off for him.

“We basically had to combine American culture with Indian tradition,” he said. “It worked well. We know the value of hard work and education. Our parents were always strict and that education had to come first,” Yohannan said.

Although he admits to studying until 1 a.m. on weeknights and being involved in four academic clubs, Yohannan said he knows his efforts are making a difference.

“It’s a lot of stress, but each day I tell myself it’s worth it,” he said. “I’m very thankful for all my teachers, parents and my sister, and my friends for just being there and being a sense of inspiration.”

Conversely, Yohannan also has inspired those around him.

“To be as smart as he is and to be in the position he’s in, top of the class, he’s so incredibly kind and thankful, so there’s no haughtiness and posturing,” said South Cobb counselor Valerie Greyer, whose in her 11th year. “He is who he is, which is just a great student. … Jiby’s going to do great things.”

Zhang’s parents were high school sweethearts when they met in China. Both attended college there before moving to the U.S. and later having daughters, Megan and Caroline. The Zhangs still visit China biannually in the summer.

Zhang wasn’t aware of the Betty Gray scholarship until her sister heard her Spanish teacher talking about the program with another student.

“I’m just glad my talent got recognized and that I won the scholarship,” said Zhang, 17, who plans to major in vocal performance at either Florida State, Southern Methodist or Georgia State universities. “I’m looking forward to learning more techniques from other vocal teachers that I don’t have right now and for new experiences.”

Zhang currently is fifth in Pebblebrook’s class of 457 students with her grade-point average of 4.138. Maintaining her high grades helps her to stay on task.

“Honestly, it’s the grades themselves,” said Zhang, whose favorite musician is Celine Dion. “I don’t want to have anything below an A on my report card. That was just the way I was raised. Academics are hard, but I don’t see singing and dancing as hard work because I just love it so much. I just love music.”

With college just a matter of months away, Zhang said she looks forward to "learning how to live on my own" and “having fun.”