The Governor’s Honors Program, known as GHP, is a residential summer program for gifted and talented high school juniors and seniors. A function of the Governor’s Office of Student Achievement, it takes place on the campus of Valdosta State University (VSU) for four weeks during the summer. The 2015 program will be the 52nd summer, making it the longest continually running program of its kind in the nation.

Approximately 3000 students from across the state applied to attend the program, and 2000 semi-finalists were interviewed and auditioned during January and February. From those nominees, 679 finalists were chosen to participate in the 2015 program. Since the program is fully funded by the Georgia General Assembly, there is no charge for students to attend.

The 2015 Governor’s Honors Program will take place on the campus of VSU from June 21 until July 18. For four weeks, students will spend the morning 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 in all the areas is challenging and engaging. Evenings are filled with seminars, activities, concerts, and performances.

Rockdale County Public Schools’ finalists for the 2015 Georgia Governor’s Honors Program are:

• Charlotte Riemersma—Rockdale Magnet School for Science and Technology—Communicative Arts
• Isabella Castronova—Rockdale Magnet School for Science and Technology—Science
• Courtney Hogan—Rockdale Magnet School for Science and Technology—Science
• Mai Nguyen—Rockdale Magnet School for Science and Technology—Science
• Julia Long—Rockdale Magnet School for Science and Technology—Social Studies.

The following students were named as alternates for the 2015 Georgia Governor’s Honors Program. If the finalists are unable to attend, their spaces will be filled by the alternates, in order of how they are listed on the GHP master list. RCPS’s alternates are:

• Ruslan Babkin—Rockdale Magnet School for Science and Technology—Math
• Parker Trau—Heritage High School–Theatre

More information about GHP can be found on the Georgia Office of School Improvement website.