The Coweta County School System’s 47 sophomores and juniors nominated for 2014 Georgia Governor’s Honors Program attended a Jan. 16 breakfast at the Central Educational Center and were recognized as being the county’s most talented and top-performing high school students.
School system spokesman Dean Jackson said the nominees and their parents were honored by the principals of Coweta’s three high schools and the Central Educational Center along with school system and community dignitaries.
“This is one of our favorite mornings of the year,” said Superintendent Steve Barker, welcoming the students, their parents and many guests who filled the CEC cafeteria. He congratulated the students on being nominated, and encouraged them to give their all in the coming interviews that will determine their acceptance to this year’s program. “When I speak to students who return from Governor’s Honors they all say ‘it really changed my life.’”
Jackson said several of the nominees performed at the event, including East Coweta High vocalist Keeley Thompson, Northgate High clarinetist Erica Anstey and Newnan High students Hannah Culbreath and Sam Sangster, who performed on the french horn and oboe, respectively.
“The four students have been nominated in music in their musical mediums, along with other Coweta students who have been nominated in music, theatre, mathematics, communicative arts, social studies sciences, technology, business and languages,” Jackson said.
Jackson said the nominees will move on to state-level interviews held in January and February, which may land them a spot in the prestigious summer residential program for gifted and artistically talented high school scholars.
The nominees also heard from Governor’s Honors alumni Josue Aryaya (East Coweta High), Jeremy Messer (Newnan High), Amelia Merriman (Northgate High), Sarah Robinson (Newnan High) and Mitchell Busby (the Central Educational Center). The students talked about the structure of Governor’s Honors and gave advice for the nominees coming interviews.
The Georgia Governor’s Honors Program is a four-week, summer residential program for Georgia students, designed to provide intellectually gifted and artistically talented sophomores and juniors challenging and enriching educational opportunities not usually available during the regular school year.
During the four weeks of the program, students spend the mornings in their major area of nomination, exploring topics not usually found in the regular high school classroom. During the afternoons, students choose one of the other areas in which to study. The curriculum is all designed to challenge and engage Georgia’s brightest students. Evenings are filled with seminars, activities, concerts, and performances.
Activities provide each participant with opportunities to acquire the skills, knowledge, and attitudes to become independent, life-long learners. The Georgia Governor’s Honors Program is fully funded by the Georgia General Assembly and operates at no cost to participants.
Pictured above in the front row, from left, are Central Educational Center student Ian Ronfeldt, (not pictured is CEC nominee Matthew Willits), Northgate High School students Emily Armstrong, Kristina Giddens, Sheridan Eastman, Katie Seagraves, Rona Wolfe, Abby Mortensen, Katie Woody, Haley Alain, Erica Anstey and Tristan Horton (not pictured are Northgate nominees Alexandra Reshetova and Christopher Foster), and Georgia Cyber Academy student Kaylin Wells; second row, East Coweta High School students Hank Dobbs, Sam Sangster, Stacie Evans, Tara Federico, Rachel Pearson, Keeley Thompson, Ann Marie Meeker, Sangkyun Byun, Tyler Insolia, Isaac Epps, Alex Naughton, Molley Blakeley, Victoria Lara, Ashlee Mullins and Monique Terrell (not pictured are East Coweta nominees Dixie Currey and Madison Kuhne); back row, Newnan High School students Michelle Burston, Ashlee Grace Chitwood, Nikita Patel, Gabrielle White, Emily Hinely, Hannah Thomas, Thomas Schulz, Kaitlenn Brown, Nicholas Petty, Anna Haydon, Caroline Flournoy, Lindsey Howell, Hannah Culbreth, Morgan Meacham and Maycee Dukes. Photo/Special.
