DCHS senior Alissa Summers, daughter of Crystal Summers, has been named Student of the Month for the month of October. Alissa received a certificate and a gift card for Kilgore’s Restaurant.

Alissa is a member of the Student Government Society, Literature Club and Science Club, and plans are to attend Tennessee Tech University where she has already been accepted. Her goal is to become a teacher and return to the DeKalb County School System. She said that her favorite subjects in school are math and history.

Alissa said she is honored by the award, and noted that her mother, Crystal, was awarded Parent of the Month, based on a winning essay in March.

Assistant Principal Seth Willoughby said Alissa was nominated by the DCHS office staff because she is a great helper as an office aide at school.

Senior student Kerstian Strawser at DCHS submitted a winning essay in honor of her mother culminating in the Parent of the Month award for October. Kerstian’s mother, Ronnijo Shelton, received a certificate from the school and a gift card from Kilgore’s Restaurant.

“Kerstian Strawser wrote an essay about why her mother is deserving of this parent of the month award,” said Assistant DCHS Principal Seth Willoughby.

“I think my mom deserves it because she’s a really great woman,” said Strawser. “She goes out of her way to give 110 percent in everything she does. She is really good at cooking food. Every meal she makes is really good. She’s a really a sweet woman and she has raised me to be the woman I am today. I love her.”

“I am overjoyed and blessed beyond measure,” said Shelton. “I couldn’t ask for a better or more respectful child,” said Shelton.

Shelton works as a manager at McDonalds and when asked what her best dish was when cooking, she replied, chicken and dumplings.

Kerstian is a member of the FCCLA, FBLA, and Service Society clubs at DeKalb and said that her goal is to be a practical nurse and maybe a volunteer firefighter.

The October Teacher of the Month award was presented to Luke Green. Assistant Principal Willoughby said that Luke is always willing to give a hand in what is going on, and has a servant’s heart. “We’re glad to have him.”

“I’m excited and honored. I feel like it’s a privilege to work here, coming back to where I went to school, and being able to give back to the community that poured so much into me,” the honoree said.

Green is a math teacher at DCHS, teaching Algebra II in his fourth year as a teacher, as well as serving as an assistant Tigers football coach, a team that he once played for as a student.

Luke also volunteers with the DeKalb County Fire Department, something he has been around all of his life. Luke’s father is Fire Chief Donny Green, and his mother Misty works for DeKalb EMS. Luke is married to Macy Green.

Green attended Tennessee Tech where he majored in secondary education, with a focus in mathematics, and a minor in math as well.