Twelve Gatton Academy Students Selected to Attend Governor’s Scholars Program

Eleven Gatton Academy first-year students have been selected to participate in the summer 2009 session of the Kentucky Governor’s Scholars Program (GSP).

The Governor’s Scholars program began in 1983 and selects high school juniors who meet college entrance exam criteria as well as GPA, writing and community involvement. Over 1,900 outstanding students from across the Commonwealth applied this year to participate in the five-week residential program. Scholars will spend time alongside other talented young people. After a lengthy review process 1,050 students were selected to attend. Those selected attend the program free of charge.

Gatton Academy students selected include:

Miles Cary (Greenwood High School, Warren County)
Thomas Choate (Warren Central High School, Warren County)
Amy Cordero (Pikeville High School, Pike County)
James Goble (Sheldon Clark High School, Martin County)
Justin Jatczak (Christian County High School, Christian County)
Lori Froedge (Monroe County High School, Monroe County)
Ballard Metcalfe (Eminence High School, Henry County)
Rebecca Morgan (Central Hardin High School, Hardin County)
Alex Naumann (Boyd County High School, Boyd County)
Rohith Palli (Paul L. Dunbar High School, Fayette County)
Sarah Pritchett (Clark County High School, Clark County)
Elizabeth Singleton (McCreary Central High School, McCreary County)

GSP will convene at three university locations this summer: Morehead State University, Morehead, June 20-July 24; Bellarmine University, Louisville, June 21-July 25; and Centre College, Danville, June 28-August 1. Students will receive notification of their campus location and class selection in late may.
In a statement to 2009 scholars, Kentucky Governor Steve Beshear expressed his hope for the students as well as their vita role in Kentucky’s future.

“Individuals like you are the key to Kentucky’s future,” Beshear said, “and I encourage you to enhance your leadership skills and to use your ingenuity to contribute to a brighter future for our Commonwealth. I hope you will come prepared to challenge your mind, to have new experiences, and to share your ideas with new friends.”

Corey Alderdice, Assistant Director, Admissions and Public Relations for the Gatton Academy and a 1999 Governor’s Scholar shared the life-changing experience the summer program affords students. “Becoming a Governor’s Scholar is about embracing one’s natural talents and learning to further hone those skills,” Alderdice said. “In order to lead the nation, Kentucky must provide its future leaders with an opportunity to grow, explore, and share alongside other passionate and gifted young people. GSP can often be the catalyst that inspires these students to take the next great leap.”

In April, 1983, Governor John Y. Brown joined together with community leaders David Jones of Humana and John Hall of Ashland to address a phenomenon blighting the Commonwealth: the “brain drain.” Kentucky’s best and brightest students were leaving home to pursue educational and career opportunities elsewhere without fully understanding their potential to succeed in Kentucky-and Kentucky’s potential to succeed through them. Governor Brown’s solution, which became a reality thanks to both public and private support, was to create a program to introduce our Commonwealth’s emerging leaders to all the opportunities for them to excel here in Kentucky and, more importantly, to introduce them to one another.

The Governor’s Scholars Program’s scope has expanded dramatically over the past quarter century. In fact, in its second summer, GSP expanded to a second campus (Eastern Kentucky University) and more than doubled its student body to include 561 scholars. By 1998, the 10,000th scholar had completed the Program. Convinced of the Program’s efficacy and desiring to impact as many students as possible, the 2000 Kentucky General Assembly approved GSP’s expansion to a third campus. As a result, the Program’s first third campus opened in June, 2001, and total participation increased to 1,000 scholars.

Even as the Program celebrated its 25th Anniversary, it achieved another milestone: the 20,000th scholar completed GSP in 2008.

For more information, contact Corey Alderdice at (270) 745-2971.