I know the statement, “If you would’ve told me 5 years ago that I would attend GSP, then I wouldn’t have believed you blah blah blah,” is overused, but it’s certainly true. I first heard about the Governor’s Scholars Program as a rising 7th grader when I learned that my dad was going to teach at Murray State University for the program. He asked my siblings and I to attend with him and thought, “Why not?” After attending his classes and field trips throughout that summer, I felt moved. I never thought a program like GSP could be so moving for those scholars. At the end of the ending ceremony for GSP 2017, my dad whispered in my ear and told me, “That will be you one day.”
Five years later, here I am, a 2022 Governor’s Scholars—well, almost. I remember the opening day for GSP, feeling like the biggest nervous wreck in the world. I remember thinking to myself, “I’ll never make any friends,” “I won’t enjoy my classes,” and “This will probably be a ‘nerd camp’ like my friends said.” I distinctly remember sobbing into my mom’s arms, telling her I wanted to go home already—embarrassing, right? As the weeks went by, I never knew my “I just want to go home” statement would turn into an “I never want to go home.” GSP has taught me how to value community, self-care, and responsibility. “Community” was a common word used throughout the program. Although each of us came from various backgrounds, GSP allowed me to learn about others’ perspectives and ideas, which strengthened the community. As a community, we’ve been able to participate and work together by collaborating in classes, events, and especially clubs—my personal favorite. The clubs have really impacted my life; while exploring current and new interests there, I was able to make new friends along the way. Partaking in the most amount of clubs I could was my ultimate goal. However, self-care was a very evident practice for the scholars to follow. Although the classes and different opportunities were very enjoyable, burnout was a common obstacle I came across. I’ve been able to take care of myself in beneficial ways, while still staying connected with the community. Taking care of myself was a responsibility for me and my fellow scholars to follow throughout GSP. I was away from my family for over a month, which meant I had the responsibility to do things for myself initiatively, from setting alarms to doing laundry to taking my medicine to participating in events, and more. Those responsibilities and other aspects enabled my personal growth and gave me a wonderful insight into my life outside of high school. As the GSP days are quickly coming to a close, I understood when previous scholars had described this program as “life-changing.” GSP has opened my eyes to the community and the world around me and has allowed me to take the “intellectual risks,” that I never would do at home. As an individual, my mindset has grown immensely after the program started. I’m blessed for the bonds I’ve made with the various people I’ve met, and I’ll cherish the moments with the special people here. To 7th grade me, I hope you never doubted your dad’s words. by Uchechi Anyanwu Governor’s Scholars Program. At first, I won’t lie that I came here with the mindset that the only thing I was going to get out of the program was a scholarship for college. And yes, while I still get to walk out of here with one (hopefully), I’m leaving this five week program with more than a scholarship.
So what does GSP mean to me? It means having newfound experiences and perspectives. From both my focus area to my general studies, I have learned so much that I am thankful to take home with me. I’ve been given incredible opportunities both during and after the program ends. It means learning to understand myself and others. Seminar, although my RA would 100% disagree, was basically a form of unlicensed group therapy. I had to face my fears to be vulnerable with myself and others, and I’m grateful that I was able to do it here. I have loved being able to open up and learn more about who I am and who I want to be. I get to take what I've learned to better myself and better my home. Most of all, it means community. More than anything else, more than any lesson planned during class, GSP has given me friendships and connections that will last longer than these five weeks here. Every conversation, every shared laughter during class, every person here has changed me forever in the few weeks we’ve been here. I’m so grateful that I applied for this program and got to experience the joy that is being at GSP. After spending all this time here, I’ve realized that GSP means more to me than a scholarship. This place and these people hold such a special place in my heart, and when I look back at all of the incredible experiences and memories made here, I realize how special this program is. by Aliza Sanchez GSP is a summer program, yes, but it’s an especially meaningful one. To me, GSP is the people who compose it. The GSP Olympics, convocation, class, and showcase are all wonderful, but you could have GSP without any of them. You could not have GSP without the wonderful instructors, scholars, and staff that are always so supportive and kind.
When I think back to GSP, I’ll remember playing cards with friends, talking at lunch, playing sports, and having conversations that can range from comedic to truly deep and insightful. I’ll remember jokes about bottles of time and outrunning the speed of light. I’ll remember talking with my hall well after our meetings had ended. Most of all, I’ll remember the feeling of being away from home for such an extended period of time, which is an experience unlike any that I had prior. GSP is special, and I would recommend that anyone apply for it. I’m writing this in the waning days of the program, and I’m going to do my best to keep my GSP experience alive for as long as possible, but all things must end. This is an experience that can’t be recaptured, and I’m grateful for it. Goodbye, GSP. by Liam Ryan Putting into words what this program means to me seems almost impossible. Coming into GSP I had no idea what to expect and 50,400 minutes seemed like a lifetime as I said goodbye to my family and friends for the next 5 weeks. However, I quickly realized as the days went on that 50,400 minutes wouldn’t be so bad and as the weeks continued I realized maybe 50,400 minutes just wouldn’t be enough. Now here we are with roughly 4,320 minutes remaining and I could not be more grateful for every minute I've spent here at GSP.
I have made lifelong friends, the best of memories, and learned so much about myself and the world. So when I think about what GSP means to me, of course I think about the friendships I've made, the classes and clubs I've gone to, and the activities I've participated in but I also think about the little things that I really do believe make this program what it is. I think about the moments before hall meeting officially starts where we are all just talking and laughing about things that have happened throughout the day. I think about the crosswalk and the hike to JVAC. I think about the countless card games that sometimes become a little too intense. I think about the naps between lunch and class. The lap we walk around the dining hall thinking we’ll try something new before deciding that pizza and a salad sounds good even though we ate it for lunch. The nights we stay up late laughing, talking, dancing, and singing. I think about hiding in a bush to escape the rain while waiting for the van to take us to Kroger. I think about the moments before the chorus of a popular song at a dance where everyone stands smushed together getting ready to sing and jump together. I think about running in the rain and dodging the puddles on the street. I think about showcase when everyone in the crowd sings along with the performer. I think about all the times we laugh so hard we cry, all the times we know more ice cream isn’t a good idea but we get it anyway (not very scholarly of us), and all the times we just sit around enjoying each other's company and taking everything in. GSP is a lot of little special moments mixed with all the major moments like the olympics, showcase, the dances, the meals, the clubs. These are the moments that have made up the best and the most impactful 5 weeks of my life. I will miss GSP Centre so much; the memories, the friends, and the experiences. I am forever grateful for the past 50,400 minutes because it truly was life changing. Thank you GSP, we love you. by Audrey Reed Vulnerability. This is a concept that has never truly come easy for me. Allowing myself to open up to people around me has been a challenge that I’ve deemed impossible. It’s hard to let your guard down, especially to people that you’ve only known for a five week period of time. This experience has completely flipped my fear into confidence. I wish I could name every single person who comes to mind while I write this, but I don’t think that anyone reading would stick around long enough to see the continuous list that seems like it will never end. If you want to read that, go ahead and jump over to the “Thank You” page.
A common theme in just about every scholar's story can be shortened down to one word—indescribable. In seminar, my group discussed what we will tell our friends, family, and community when we leave the program. And this is the one time I could truly say that I had NO idea. To even begin to describe the people I met, the activities I participated in, and the performances I watched, feels like something from a fever dream. A dream I never wanted to wake up from. It always feels like something this good could never end. But unfortunately, just like everything in the universe, even the best times come to an end. It’s not like I’m not excited to return home and fall back into my routine. But as I sit back and reflect, I realize the value of what I get to bring back with me. I get to show how I learned the importance of belonging, of being a leader, and most importantly, just being the person I want to be and emulate. This program has grown me into someone that takes those intellectual risks, who knows where she is wanted, and does it all with compassion and meaning. I cannot imagine a reality where I did not get to have this experience, and I don’t want to. by Bethany Craycroft What does GSP mean to me? To an outsider, it was just five weeks at Centre campus. To me it was so much more. I can't begin to explain what this program has meant to me. These past five weeks have made me a brand new person and I'm leaving so much better than how I came. GSP has given me people that mean the world to me. I can't express how much I love the people I have met here. They have seen all of my highs and lows and have been there through all the homesickness and exhaustion. My friends have been what made my experience amazing. Through the weeks I have seen myself try things I would never do at home. I see a new person coming out and it's all thanks to this program. I will never forget the little things about this place that have made the largest impact on my life. Two more days are left and I only wish I actually did have a bottle of time just for a few more moments with my people.
by Mady Marsillett To try and describe GSP in just a few sentences is pretty much impossible. GSP is more than growing our minds, it is about growing every ounce of our character. The past five weeks have allowed me to grow as an individual, friend, and classmate.
There isn’t just one thing that I could list that would effectively describe what GSP means to me. Personally, it is all of the little moments. The long meals at Cowan because no one wants to leave each other, card games that last two hours, getting up early to take pictures, waiting 30 minutes to leave for extended perimeter, hall meeting sing-alongs, swing dancing until curfew, Harry eating cups full of soft serve, and meeting in the garden after every class. Every small moment in the 35 days makes this experience what it is. The people at GSP are also some of the best people I have ever met. From the first day when we asked, “What’s your name?” and “What focus area are you in?” to the last week where we know everything about one another, the community that was built is surreal. The friends that I have made will undoubtedly be lifelong and I cannot imagine going a day without talking to them, even if it is the smallest mention. Knowing that we have to leave our community in 3 days is heartbreaking. How do you say goodbye to the people who have become your world in just five short weeks? However, meet-ups are already being planned and phone numbers given. GSP was the best experience of my life and I am so glad that for most it is just a “See you later”. by Olivia Pierce GSP means putting yourself out there.
GSP means trying new things. GSP means community. GSP means intellectual risks. GSP means performing at Karaoke Club. GSP means learning to time your laundry just right. GSP means self-discovery. GSP means growing your love for learning. GSP means soft serve with every meal. GSP means yoga in the morning. GSP means dominating The Amazing Race GSP means walking to class in the pouring rain. GSP means hair tinsel and friendship bracelets. GSP means pool days at Northside’s indoor pool (jkjk). GSP means laughing until your sides hurt. GSP means valuable conversations, no matter how small. GSP means recording podcasts. GSP means hiking to JVAC. GSP means lifetime friendships. GSP means five weeks of unforgettable memories. GSP means everything to me. by Ryan Tucker Goodbye, GSP.
Thanks for the memories, the friends and the new experiences. Arriving on campus five weeks ago, I would never have thought of what the next five weeks had in store for me, from GSPlayer to the time spent with my new friends. I had a wonderful time. I would not have had my summer any other way. I’m going to miss the people I have met and I hope to see all of my friends I have made here again. I hope the future scholars will appreciate GSP as we have and keep the tradition alive. Finally I hope GSP continues to change people for the better and continue being the greatest 50,400 minutes of people's lives. GSPlayer out ;) by Elijah Hall |