Back row (left to right) Manav Shah, Caleb Joyce, Garret Greenwell, Nathan Yancey, Carter McReynolds, Olivia Griffith, Aubrey Hill, and Natalie Cryts.
Front Row (left to right) Reed Bowling, Owen Cody, Taylor Boone, Reese Barnhill, Jill Nichols, and Meg Kitchen.
McCracken County High School juniors Taylor Boone, Natalie Cryts, Olivia Griffith, Aubrey Hill, Meg Kitchen, Jill Nichols, Reese Barnhill, Reed Bowling, Owen Cody, Garret Greenwell, Caleb Joyce, Carter McReynolds, Manav Shah, and Nathan Yancey were accepted to participate in this year's Kentucky Governor's Scholars Program. Louisa Knerr and Quinterious Bailey were selected as alternates.
Some 1,687 applications from high school juniors across the state were submitted this year, out of which 60 percent of those applicants were accepted to participate in the program. The number of candidates each district may submit to the statewide process is based on the district-wide junior class enrollment.
The Governor's Scholars Program is a summer residential program for outstanding rising high school seniors in Kentucky. Murray State University hosts this year, along with Centre College in Danville and Morehead State University.
Students must be nominated by their high schools and then compete on a state-wide level. Selection for the program is highly competitive, with an application process similar to that of prestigious colleges and universities.
In addition to an academic profile that includes the challenge of course load, GPA, and at least one standardized test score, the application requires an outline of all extracurricular activities, a history of volunteer service, and a list of job positions held.
Also required is a teacher recommendation for both quantitative evaluation and qualitative descriptions of the student's performance and potential, as well as a community recommendation which shows how a student performs in a community setting beyond the high school. The final component of the application is an original writing entry.