In a surprise presentation, four students in Richard Johnston’s third-period BC Calculus* class at Santa Barbara High School were identified as winners of a Lenovo laptop computer as well as a Google backpack containing McAfee anti-virus software and a student version of Microsoft Office 2007. Seniors Georgia Macy, Caroline Teti, Ken Meyers, and Matt Baum each received Google’s Talent and Outreach Program award for their excellence in mathematics. Google’s Talent and Outreach Program awarded the four students with the computers to recognize the school’s commitment to the STEM curriculum, which stands for science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.
Math teacher Richard Johnston complimented the hard work of the students, letting them know that selecting four was a tough decision because of the high caliber of students in the class. He based his selection on the students commitment to academic excellence. “Excellence was not determined by speed, but by accuracy, depth of thought, willingness to explore mathematics on one’s own, and willingness to share their knowledge and improve Santa Barbara High School’s mathematics community.” Mr. Johnston spoke about the remarkable qualities of each Google award winner as he made the announcement:
“Georgia Macy received a “5” on the Advanced Placement Calculus AB Exam. She is a major classroom contributor for AB Calculus as well as BC Calculus (year 2). Georgia has a fantastic attitude about mathematics and learning. She is always coming in with a problem or challenge to assist in our learning.
Caroline Teti received a “5” on the AP Calculus AB Exam. She represented Santa Barbara High School’s mathematics program at the Westmont Math Competition by doing the Chalk Talk. Caroline never accepts or makes excuses for herself and she is consistently pushing her math ability to the next level.
Ken Myers received a “5” on the AB and BC Calculus Exam in 2007 and 2008. He finished all the math that Santa Barbara High School had to offer him in his sophomore year. Ken has continued to excel in mathematics over at Santa Barbara City College and is currently taking Differential Equations. Ken has tutored hundreds of students for fun here at Santa Barbara High. He is one of the most generous and humble individuals I have ever met.
Matt Baum received a “5” on the AB Calculus Exam. Matt regularly asks the fantastic clarifying question encouraging deeper exploration in mathematics. He is confident enough in his abilities in mathematics to explore mathematical concepts on his own. Matt is a diligent, hardworking student.”
—Barbara Keyani is the Santa Barbara School District coordinator of administrative services and communications