Coweta County School System’s student nominees to the 2017 Georgia Governor’s Honors Program were honored by their schools Thursday at the Central Educational Center.
The nominees, sophomores and juniors from East Coweta, Newnan and Northgate High Schools and the Central Educational Center, were recognized at the morning program as they head into auditions and interviews leading up to selections for this year’s Governor’s Honors Program (GHP).
Superintendent Steve Barker told this year’s 50 nominees and their parents that the annual breakfast program is one of the highlights of the year, since the school system and school board members have an opportunity “to honor and recognize some of the best brightest students the school system has to offer.”
Barker congratulated the students on their nominations to this year’s program, and thanked the student’s parents, teachers, counselors and administrative staff for their support of the student nominees.
Breakfast was provided by Chef Tricia Vera and her West Georgia Technical College Culinary Arts students.
Northgate High School student Christina Pacetti, a GHP alumnus, played a movement from Vivaldi’s Gloria on oboe, and East Coweta High School’s Catelyn Byrd, a 2017 nominee, played the third movement of Mozart’s Bassoon Concerto, accompanied by Arnall Middle School music teacher Bruce Patterson.
Stephanie Cannon, a GHP alumnus from Newnan High School, gave this year’s nominees words of encouragement about the annual program.
Cannon said that her fellow GHP students were as much a part of the experience as her studies. Some of the acquaintances she made during her time in Valdosta have gone on to attend the Massachusettes Institute of Technology, Harvard and Yale, and have been published in the New York Times, among other distinctions.
“Come in with an open mind and make as many connections as you can,” said Cannon. “Come in expecting to have your life changed.”
Governor’s Honors Program 2017 nominees from Northgate High School are, from left to right, front row, Grace Busby (Science), Benjamin Crowe (Science), Christopher Darna (Mathematics), Alyssa Duncan (Visual Arts), William Golden (Social Studies), Lauren Hagert (Communicative Arts), Ashley Kangas (Music), Haley McCurry (Theatre); back row, Morgan Miller (Music), Samantha Morrison (Theatre), Samuel Pfliger (Science), Lily Robles (Dance), Arthi Shankar (Science), Ashley Stephens (Music), Sydney Tuttle (Social Studies), Sommer Vanden Heuvel (Communicative Arts) and Principal Bill Harrison (not pictured).
