Veterans graduate, teacher receive Georgia AFA awards

Veterans High School teacher Lt. Col. (Ret.) Steve Atkins and AFJROTC Cadet James Sutton were presented awards by the Georgia State Air Force Association (AFA) on Sept. 2. Lt. Col. Atkins was named Georgia AFA’s Teacher of the Year and Cadet Sutton won Outstanding Air Force Junior ROTC Cadet of the Year. Both honorees were recommended for the state awards after winning the Carl Vinson Memorial Chapter 296 local awards.

Lt. Col. Atkins is the Veterans High Senior Aerospace Science Instructor and CTAE Department Chair where he has taught since 2010. He began teaching at Warner Robins High after retiring in 2003 as a U. S. Air Force pilot. He was named Teacher of the Year in 2008-2009 and 2011-2012 and was in the top five TOTY finalists for Houston County.

After graduating from Cheyenne Mountain High in Colorado Springs, Col., he earned a B.S. in Management from the U. S. Air Force Academy and an M.S. in Aeronautical Science from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. He has four children.

Cadet Col. Sutton graduated with the Veterans High School Class of 2015.

As deputy commander of the Veterans High corps of cadets, he was responsible for training and managing 167 cadets in all aspects of AFJROTC support functions, looking after their wellbeing and ensuring that they were prepared and supported for all AFJROTC activities.

Academically, he carried a perfect 4.0 GPA and was a member of many school organizations to include Beta Club, Spanish Honor Society, Students Against Destructive Decisions Club and Prayer Club. In addition, he devotes countless hours to training in Tae Kwon Do to maintain his black belt level. He earned the prestigious Woodrow Scholars Award Merit Scholarship and attends the University of South Carolina as a pre-med student. He plans to become an Air Force doctor.

The AFA Teacher of the Year award recognizes classroom teachers for their accomplishments and achievements in exciting students about science and math and preparing them to use and contribute to tomorrow’s technologies. This award recognizes teachers who are furthering excellence and making coming to class an adventure.

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