Molly O'Roark (MMus, DMA) is the Drew Charter School 2026 STAR Teacher with her STAR student, harpist and composer Axum Nickerson!
University of Illinois School of Music alumna Molly O’Roark (MMus, DMA) is the Drew Charter School 2026 STAR Teacher with her STAR student, harpist and composer Axum Nickerson!
STAR Students represent are selected by “the very best of our senior class through academic excellence and record-setting achievement” (Charles R. Drew Charter School).
In keeping with the tradition of this award, Axum selected an educator who has been instrumental in his journey of scholarship and growth. Dr. Molly O’Roark has taught Axum in the Harp program since middle school, and her mentorship over the years has had a profound impact on his development as both a musician and a scholar.
The PAGE Student Teacher Achievement Recognition (STAR) program is a prestigious statewide initiative in Georgia that honors high-achieving high school seniors and the educators who have most influenced their academic success. A hallmark of the program is that each STAR Student selects a STAR Teacher to share the recognition, celebrating the critical partnership between student effort and instructional excellence.
Dr. O’Roark is Artistic Director of the Urban Youth Harp Ensemble in Atlanta, Georgia and Harp Department Coordinator of the Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp in Twin Lake, Michigan, inspiring innovation and creativity forward with the next generation of creative music makers.
Congratulations, Molly!