For the second year in a row, Calhoun High School gives a free mountain bike to an Advanced Placement student for taking rigorous courses during their high school career. North Ga. National bank purchased the bicycle and donated it to the AP program. From left: Calhoun’s Advanced Placement coordinator Jackie Palazzolo, Principal Wanda Westmoreland, North Ga. National Bank president George Crowley, Aric Bunch, NGNB marketing officer Kristy Brown and Marcus Palazzolo. KARISSA STEWART/Staff
Bunch, a senior at Calhoun High School, won a mountain bike in the Advanced Placement program giveaway contest among 15 students.
“We are honoring our students in the top level classes, who have had the most rigorous curriculum,” said CHS Principal Wanda Westmoreland.
“I think it’s a great thing,” she added.
Local bicycle shop owner Marcus Palazzolo supplied the mountain bicycle that was purchased by North Ga. National bank in Calhoun in honor of a student in the Advanced Placement program.
Eligible students were those students who took three or more Advanced Placement classes. The names of the students were put into a box and a winner was selected at random.
“I’m going to Berry College next year,” said Bunch. “It’ll be great there.”
Calhoun’s AP coordinator Jackie Palazzolo says other high schools hold similar contests.
“I went to an A.P. workshop in North Carolina and they gave away a vehicle,” she said. “Marcus (her husband) owns a bicycle shop and I thought we could start off small here.”
Palazzolo also mentioned that many colleges and universities don’t allow first year students to have vehicles on campus and a new bike is handy.
This is the second year of the contest, and Calhoun currently offers 11 advanced placement courses and will add biology and Spanish next fall, officials stated.
Advanced Placement classes challenge students through rigor, allowing them to develop the critical thinking, study and research skills necessary for college.
It's certainly encouraging to see 15 participants in year two.
Keep up the good work Jackie Palazzolo. We need more like you.