Published Friday, January 18, 2013
47 Coweta students recognized as Governor's Honors nominees
From Staff Reports
news@newnan.com
Forty-seven Coweta County School students — sophomores and juniors from Coweta’s three high schools and the Central Educational Center — were honored Thursday morning as 2013 Georgia Governor’s Honors Program nominees.
The honorees were recognized by their high school principals and community dignitaries at a breakfast held at the Central Educational Center.
“This is a great morning. This is one of the best things we do all year,” said Superintendent Steve Barker, welcoming the students, their parents and many guests who filled the CEC cafeteria. He congratulated the students on being nominated, and encouraged them to give their all in the coming interviews that will determine their acceptance to this year’s program. “Governor’s Honors changes lives... it will put you on a path that you never expected, and you will meet some great people along the way.”
Nominated in major studies areas including biology, math, music and theatre, among others, the 47 Coweta students are among more than 2,800 nominated students from across the state who will be interviewed and auditioned in January and February. From those nominees, 690 finalists are expected to be chosen to participate in the 2013 Governor’s Honors Program, also known as GHP. The program is funded by the Georgia General Assembly, and there is no charge for students to attend.
This year’s nominees were introduced by high school principals Mark Ballou (CEC), Evan Horton (East Coweta), Doug Moore (Newnan) and Therese Reddekopp (Northgate) at the Thursday morning breakfast.
Coweta GHP coordinator Peggy Guebert congratulated the students on being nominated. “Only 1 percent of Georgia sophomores and juniors are nominated to interview for Governor’s Honors at the state level,” she said, putting the students among the top most gifted scholars in their classes.
This year’s nominees are getting some advice and support as they face those interviews. Coaching sessions designed to help the students enter the interviews more confidently were organized at CEC on the afternoon after the program.
Also, students Jordan Collis (East Coweta), Anais Felix-Carrion (Newnan High), Nathan Hoffman (Northgate) and Joshua Vorderlandwehr (CEC) spoke to the students at the Thursday breakfast. The four were among 11 Coweta students who were chosen to attend Governor’s Honors last year.
GHP alumni Vorderlandwehr told the students that the academic content of the program was rigorous, and yet “it doesn’t even feel like you’re learning. It’s all hands-on... and it’s fun.”
This year’s nominees, by school, are:
Central Educational Center
Mitchell Busby - Technology
Cordell Kadlick - Technology
Jack Weaver - Executive Management
East Coweta High School
Amber Akbar - Biology
Christina Bure - Biology
Emma Goodwin - Communicative Arts
Valerie Mannebach - Communicative Arts
Hannah Yekel - Dance
Jennifer Osorio-Jimenez - French
Sangkyun Byun - Mathematics
Samuel Siprelle - Social Studies
Audrey Faulkner - Theatre Performance
Eric Roberts - Theatre Performance
Josue Araya - Visual Arts
Dakota Becker - Visual Arts
Aerin Dalman - Visual Arts
Madison Nunes - Visual Arts
Abigail O’Neal - Visual Arts
Hannah Rose - Visual Arts
Newnan High School
Annie Hass - Biology
Nikita Patel - Biology
Dhruv Patel - Chemistry
Hannah Thomas - Communicative Arts
Samantha Griffiths - French
Harrison Brown - Music
Lance Mapp - Music
Melinda Griffith - Music
Sarah Robinson - Music
Jeremy Messer - Social Studies
Kerrie Head - Visual Arts
Lauren Hovey - Visual Arts
Ally Thomas - Visual Arts
Brandon Wenner - Visual Arts
Northgate High School
Ja’Von Swint - Biology
Andrew Kelley - Chemistry
Audrey Goodman - Communicative Arts
Regina Bauer - Dance
Falyn Maple - Dance
Juliana Pepper - Dance
Eugene Park - Mathematics
Toryn Garrett - Music
Amelia Merriman - Music
Abby Pinaud - Social Studies
Rona Wolfe - Theatre Design
Katie Seagraves - Theatre Performance
Holly Gugert - Visual Arts
Jessica Struempf - Visual Arts
The Governor’s Honors Program is a residential summer program for gifted and talented high school juniors and seniors. A function of the Georgia Department of Education, the program takes place each summer on the campus of Valdosta State University. The 2013 program will be the 50th summer for the program, making it the longest continually running program of its kind in the nation.
