Not Nerd Camp

By Michael Wilson

Butler Traditional High School, Louisville

 

When I first stepped onto the Bellarmine University campus for the five-week-long Governor’s Scholars Program, I really didn’t know what to expect.

I must admit, my first impression of the place was that it was a nerd camp, where all the focus would be on academics, we would get little free time, and I would have homework every night. After that first week, however, it was obvious that none of those things were true.

Life was pretty laid back. In our classes we didn’t do a lot of book or busy work, but instead took part in class discussions, learning more about our different majors.  There were lots of clubs and activities that had little or nothing to do with academia.  I had spare time every single day, when I could go play basketball, tennis, play cards, or basically do anything.  It was during some of that free time that I did something that would change my GSP experience forever.

I was playing basketball with some fellow scholars and a few Bellarmine students when I rolled my ankle and heard the ominous “pop” sound. It swelled immediately, and I had to go to the immediate care center. I got a few X-rays and the doctor told me that I had a severely sprained ankle and wouldn’t be able to walk on it for about two weeks.  I was crushed. I couldn’t imagine going two weeks without playing basketball or tennis, let alone walking.

It was a tough two weeks. Let’s just say that the Bellarmine campus, built on hills, is not crutch friendly. One good thing it did do, however, was force me to find other things to occupy my time. I hung out with the friends I had made here. Because of the injury, I became a lot closer with a lot more people. I built strong, lasting friendships with some scholars that I know will continue long after GSP is just a memory.

When I look back on the injury I think that it really wasn’t that bad. Yes I couldn’t walk for two weeks and yes I couldn’t play any sports, but I gained a lot of friends. I learned that GSP isn’t a nerd camp because it isn’t all about academics. I learned that GSP, like life, is about building relationships and coming out of your personal shell.

Of all the things I learned and experienced at GSP, I believe that lesson is the one that will stick with me.    

Independence, Individuality and Insight

By Lauren White

Washington County High School

 

            As the program that I have anticipated for a year draws to a close, I can’t help but feel a bit of sorrow.

From the moment in November that I started to work on my application into the Governor’s Scholars Program, hardly a day went by when I didn’t give it a thought. I knew how competitive the process was to get into this program, and I anxiously awaited my acceptance letter. On the fateful day in April when I realized that I was accepted, I felt like I was on top of the world. I knew that this summer was going to be the best of my life.

            Fast forward a few months and here I am at Bellarmine University in Louisville, closing in on the fifth and final week of the Governor’s Scholars Program. This summer has passed by quicker than anything else I have ever experienced in my life. I could never replace this summer, nor would I want to, with anything else in the world. The teachers, scholars, and experiences I have encountered will stay with me for the rest of my life.

            What I will take with me the most from this program is the independence I have gained and the individuality I have come to grasp. Living in a very sheltered, small-town, community, it is almost impossible to break the mold that has been set for you by your society. Being completely independent for the first time has given me a chance to see how I fit into the world and how other people view pressing issues in our society. Even though the program doesn’t set itself outside of the state, I feel like I have become more worldly than I ever could have expected.

            The Governor’s Scholars Program has been providing a summer home and intellectual haven for selected high school seniors for 25 years. This program truly is unique and unlike any other in its class. Not only does it enrich young adult lives and further their education, but it also gives them a jump-start for a promising future. Most of Kentucky’s colleges and universities recognize the value of the GSP and offer generous scholarships to its alumni.

            This program has given me the chance to live on my own, make independent decisions, become more responsible, and realize how completely grateful I am for the life and the opportunities that I have been given. I see how greatly I have been blessed with the chance to be a part of this program.

Some may scoff at the thought, wondering why any 17-year-old would want to spend their summer attending classes and living on a college campus away from family and friends. What they may not understand is the fact that while we are here, we aren’t just attending classes. We are forming relationships with a diverse group of people, learning about the world around us, and becoming stronger people.

This program has given me the gift of insight – insight into our world, our state, our community, and ultimately, a deeper insight into my own individuality. For that I will be eternally grateful.

Relationships Come Before Academics

By Chie Togami

Louisville duPont Manual High School

 

Waiting. It’s the best word to describe what I’ve been doing for the past four weeks. Not a bored, unengaged waiting, but an eager, always looking, always searching, waiting.

I’ve been waiting to be flooded with the GSP wisdom, to be struck with the lightening bolt of GSP enlightenment. But it hasn’t happened yet – or at least not in the way I expected. What I’ve come to realize is that this program is less like a tornado and more like the water that carved the Grand Canyon. The change it causes in people seems small and insignificant because it takes time to grasp its significance.

At first glance, the Governor Scholars Program seems like just any other academic camp. The application process is long and arduous requiring teacher recommendations, a student academic profile, and the submission of several essays.

 So I came to Bellarmine University in Louisville with a typical “workhorse” mentality. I had prepared myself for five weeks of intense classes that would help to build my knowledge base and give me a head start in preparation for college and career.

Competition has always been a huge motivation for me. Thus, I was initially very perplexed when I discovered that there is no quantitative measure of what we’ve done here. There are no tests, no grades. And though I’ve been competing my whole life, this place has been a sanctuary where people aren’t judged by their standardized test scores and number of leadership positions.

As our GSP executive director, Aristófanes Cedeño, has mentioned numerous times, this program is about building an intellectual community. Sure, our commitment to academic excellence is what has brought us together, but I would argue that academics are not the most important thing. This program is about building relationships. GSP is the first place I’ve ever been where friendship is promoted above all else. In regular classes during the school year, socializing is frowned upon because it “distracts” from individual success. Because of this, students’ worth as individuals is often tied directly to their academic accolades. Students cry when they lose their 4.0 because they know that as a result they will begin to be treated differently.

At GSP, we have come to understand the true essence of our state motto: United we stand, divided we fall. In this community setting we have learned that cooperation is as important as competition. We are purposely placed in situations that force us to step outside our comfort zone. I’ve been waiting, and without even knowing it I have been reshaped by the people I’ve met and the experiences we’ve shared. 

Much More Gained Than Lost

By Morgan Rose

Taylor County High School

 

            This summer, I’ve missed out on lazy days by the pool, late nights chatting with friends, and sleeping until lunchtime. I’ve sacrificed five weeks of free time to attend the Governor’s Scholars Program and reside on the campus of Bellarmine University in Louisville.

What may come as a surprise, however, is that with all that I’ve missed, I’ve gained so much more.

            The Governor’s Scholars Program allows some of Kentucky’s brightest upcoming seniors to attend a five-week session filled with opportunities to take risks, discuss important issues, and learn about themselves and the world around them.  In addition, almost every college in the state offers scholarships to GSP alumni, so the application process was difficult and competitive.  Upon receiving my acceptance letter, I began to plan for what I knew would be an unforgettable experience.

            Opening day in mid-June came with a series of emotions.  As the day that I’d been planning and anticipating for weeks came into view, I began to feel excited, curious, and unsure simultaneously.  The butterflies in my stomach were definitely alive and well as I entered an unfamiliar campus filled with strange faces. A pang of anxiety and sadness rushed in as I, along with 360 of my fellow scholars, bid goodbye to family members. We were now alone, and it was up to us to break the ice and become acquainted with not only our surroundings, but also the strangers with whom we would share the next five weeks. 

            Week One was a string of new beginnings: new friendships, new living arrangements, and new learning experiences.  Dorm life, complete with shared bathrooms and limited drawer space, presented an unknown frontier of sorts and a few unforeseen difficulties.   Making friends, on the other hand, wasn’t difficult at all.  With scholars coming from all parts of the state, personalities, backgrounds, and opinions of all types resided on campus. But the scholar population seemed to mesh and fit together perfectly within only a few days.  By Friday of the first week, I had grown accustomed to my summer life and developed relationships that I knew would stretch far beyond this five-week program.

            My classes provided a plethora of learning experiences and opportunities to take risks and try new things.  My Focus Area, my “major” for the program, was Journalism and Mass Media.  Since writing has been a passion of mine for quite sometime, this class and I were a perfect fit.  It allowed me to have an in-depth look at the aspects and influence of journalism.  Through this class, I was able to visit the Courier Journal, tour the TV station of Wave3, and participate in a GSP news bureau.  I developed my own stories, all the while being mentored by two notably successful journalists. 

            In my other classes, I spent time discussing and debating issues that impact our world.  I was exposed to new opinions, concerns, and information on topics ranging all the way from dating relationships to pending war.  These classes not only allowed me to have a voice and share my thoughts, but also hear that of others.  I was able to learn more about what I believe and why I believe it, which will be an invaluable tool in my future. 

            For me, the program has truly been a huge compilation of great memories, and as the five weeks draw to a close, I am confident that this summer will be difficult to top. While most 17-year-olds spent their summers planning sleepovers and working on their tans, I was given the honor of learning more about myself and having an impact on my future.

As it comes time for me to re-enter the real world, I won’t leave the experiences of GSP behind.  Instead, I’ll cherish all the things I’ve learned and all the friendships I’ve made.

And I’ll proudly don the title of Governor’s Scholar.

No Tests, No Grades, Just Growth

By Brianna Renn

Louisville Male High School

 

I received a letter last May that pulled two contrasting emotions from my body. As I listened to my father reading the letter, purposely skipping over the accepted or not accepted part, I was full of anxiety.  If accepted, five weeks of my summer would be completely ruined. If not accepted, I would lose the benefits of scholarships, along with spending time with friends who were accepted to the program.

Finally, my anticipation exploded. I snatched the letter from my father’s hands and I read, “Accepted.” The mixed emotions led me to jump with glee and pout with doubt on being a 2008 Governor’s Scholar.

At the beginning, I pictured the Governor’s Scholars Program as a summer school full of grades, work, and absolutely no fun. Imagining a program that would take five weeks of my precious summer away did not sound appealing to me. However, many of my friends said great things about the program and I did not hear one negative comment from any former Governor’s Scholar.

By mid-June, I was arriving at the Bellarmine University campus in Louisville for a five-week program that would help me grow as a student and a person. Now that I have experienced GSP, my feelings and emotions about the program have changed immensely. It was nothing that I had expected it to be, only 10 times better!

My Focus Area of study, Journalism and Mass Media, allowed me to travel to the Courier Journal and the Wave Three Television Station. This was a once in a lifetime experience because I got a behind-the-scenes look at two of the state’s biggest media outlets and met well-known journalists like John Belski, Dawne Gee, and Bill Luster.

In my General Studies class, the object was to define the word “creativity,” and agree upon a definition as an entire class. After trips to art museums and studios in downtown Louisville, and an immense amount of researching, interviewing and debating, the class produced an agreed upon definition.

One of the best parts of the program was meeting other scholars from across the state and forming an “intellectual community” on campus. Here I noticed that there was a mutual respect among the scholars, who were able to have passionate conversations about important topics without losing their cool. Moreover, scholars did not judge anyone based on their race, sex, or religion. It was a stereotype-free environment and fertile ground for creating relationships.

The odd thing is that we experienced such a tremendous amount of education and personal growth in a program that had no tests and no grades. Learning was fun.

As I look back to that day in May when I received my acceptance letter, I see myself as very naïve and ill-informed about the GSP. For most of the scholars in the program, this was the highlight of their lives, and now I realize why. The Governor’s Scholar’s Program is designed to create role models of academic excellence.

It sure did for me.

Thoroughly Enjoying Myself

By Kayla Powell

Home-schooled, Lexington

 

I still vividly remember the application process:  Two months of wracking my brain trying to remember everything I’ve done since second grade, updating my resume, writing essays, rewriting essays, asking for letters of recommendation, and yes, considerable stress.

I remember waiting for four long months to hear if I was accepted.  And oh do I remember the joy I felt on receiving that acceptance letter.  After a prayer of thanksgiving, I jumped up and called my mom, who ironically enough was having lunch with my academic mentor.  Letting the tears of joy fall, I probably shouted, “I got in!!  I got accepted into GSP!”  Then I quickly called my dad and talked so fast it’s a wonder he understood me, and then, as any normal teenager would do, I quickly employed the speed dial on my cell phone and called all 10 of my best friends. 

When I arrived at the Bellarmine University campus in Louisville on June 15 for the five-week-long Governor’s Scholars Program, I hardly knew what to expect.  There were so many questions running through my mind, so many emotions running through me.  I was excited, eager to meet new people.  I was confused; everything felt chaotic and rushed; it was all happening so fast.  I was sad; I would definitely miss my family and friends.

I knew that this would be a good experience for me.  It’s a once-in- a- lifetime experience. I’ve never been afraid to meet new people, and I was excited that I got journalism (my first pick) for my Focus Area.  I knew I’d be experiencing new things, and making decisions that I’d never had the opportunity to make before.  I knew I’d be taking risks, and despite mixed emotions, I was ready to begin.

One of the new experiences for me was something I’d heard plenty about, but never thought I’d want to do.  My younger sister, Lorie, is 16 years old, and has known for several years that she wants to be a surgeon. In pursuing this goal, she has attended a weeklong pre-med camp for two summers in a row.  As part of this camp, she had the incredible opportunity of getting hands-on in a cadaver lab.  I had listened to her gush about this experience — genuinely happy for her, but definitely grossed out. Touching a dead body was definitely not something I ever intended to do. 

My Focus Area at GSP was Journalism and Mass Media.  As part of our work, we reported and wrote a feature story on a particular facet of the Governor’s Scholars Program.  My story was on first-time experiences, and part of my assignment was to report on the Focus Area, Biological and Environmental Issues, which included a visit to the cadaver lab.

I was surprisingly open to the idea of visiting a cadaver lab when my professor told me that I had this opportunity.  While I was definitely unsure of myself, not doing it was never an option in my mind; it would be great “color” for my story, and I wasn’t going to let this opportunity pass me by.  So I determined to eat enough — but not too much — before I went to report, and focused on preparing good interview questions.  I knew Lorie had been fine with the bodies, but she wants to be a surgeon, and I’m just a communications major.  I love people, and I want to see them whole and well and happy.       

I arrived early at the classroom where the biology students were meeting for a class period with Dr. David Porta, the professor who would be showing us the lab.  However, half the class was already there, eager for the class to begin.  Their enthusiasm and energy was soaring unleashed throughout the room.  There was chatter, laughter, and eager anticipation.  It was hard not to catch their energy, and soon I was looking forward to it, too.  Just not as much as they were.    

The moment I entered the cadaver lab, I became just as excited as the rest of the scholars.  I found myself quickly putting on rubber gloves and following a group of students over to one of the 10 bodies, and the next thing I know, I’m holding a liver!  Over the next few minutes, I had held several human organs, and I had held a human brain!  And the strangest part was that I was thoroughly enjoying myself.

Even now, I can’t help but smile when I think about how much I enjoyed doing something that I thought I’d never want to do. And that, I believe, is what the GSP experience is all about.     

A Humbling Experience

By Rachael Padgett

Southwestern High School, Pulaski County

 

How many places can you take 300-plus teenagers, put them in a college setting, tell them they are not allowed to use their cell phones or iPods outside of their rooms, and not get laughed at?

 Furthermore, you insist that these students are not allowed to have cars, must stay within an in-campus perimeter and observe an early curfew. Oh, and for the next five weeks, they are not allowed to have visitors, with one exception: Parents Day.

Now imagine that with all those restrictions, hundreds of teenagers want to be there, and are willing to go through a lengthy and competitive application process to do so.

Believe it or not, it happens every year in Kentucky. It’s called the Governor’s Scholars Program, a five-week residential study course that prepares some of the best high school students in the state for college careers and leadership positions. Add in the fact completion of the program almost guarantees a scholarship to most colleges in Kentucky, and it’s no surprise that over 1,000 students attend the GSP every year at three host campuses.

I happen to be one of them, spending most of my summer living in a dorm on the Bellarmine University campus in Louisville.

Although I may be the “smart kid that can do anything” at home, I feel pretty dull here. From a self-proclaimed redneck who intelligently debates politics, to a tri-lingual person who can “pop lock and drop it” with the best, the scholars here are diverse and unique. But most scholars have one thing in common at this “nerd camp”: We feel inferior to everyone else.

“It seems like everyone is specialized in something,” said Corey Phelps, a scholar from Burnside.

GSP was started to encourage Kentucky’s “best and brightest” to go to college and start careers in Kentucky. But secretly, I believe this organization was made to humble everyone. I thought my 33 ACT score was pretty good until I met several people with 35s. And those people with 35s feel like it’s just a test score and other people have done more interesting things. And those other people wish that they could do something someone else can do….

By the third week of the program, my notion of stereotypes was gone. I don’t think one person turned out to be what I expected them to be. Showcase, the weekly talent show, was where I got most of my surprises. One guy who had seemed especially shy belted out an original song. Another one, who had been especially passionate during the Community-wide Capture the Flag, turned out to be equally passionate while playing piano. It made my jaw drop.

Speaking of piano, I’m pretty sure 80 percent of the scholars on this campus play piano. One guy, who seems to be extremely obnoxious and doesn’t have the discipline to sit quietly for five minutes, has the discipline to play a medley of popular piano songs. Most piano players are better than I am, and I took lessons for five years. However, most players who performed at Showcase thought that they weren’t that good and that everyone else was better at it than they were.

And that seems to be the theme at the Governor’s Scholars Program. As we learn and grow, we find that others are learning and growing too, maybe even more than we are, so that by the end of the summer, we’ll all be significantly more intelligent, yet feel that much stupider.

I’ve learned many things during my time at GSP.