Thank you to the wonderful campus directors for regulating GSP. Your jobs aren’t easy, but I truly admire you all for your hard work and determination to make this program the best it can be—and it truly was.
Thank you to the faculty who taught us such wonderful lessons throughout the summer! Hayley and Jay, I’ve loved being a scholar in your focus area and general studies and I hope I can see you all extremely soon. Thank you to the RAs for always looking out for their scholars and making us feel at home. Elia, my Seminar RA, you’ve been a wonderful person to talk to and I truly appreciate your kindness. And to my lovely RA in Yerkes, Lucy, thank you so much for being the best RA a resident could ask for. I’ve loved getting to know and talk to you throughout the days and nights; I’m truly going to miss you! Thank you to the wonderful chefs in the dining hall for always preparing our meals each day. Thank you for dealing with such crazy kids during this summer; your hard work doesn’t go unnoticed. Thank you to my wonderful friends and classmates whom I was able to grow with as the weeks went by. The first couple of days were awkward, as usual, but now I feel like we’ve grown as a community, and it feels strange having to leave it all. Thank you, GSP for helping shape the person I am now. 5 weeks ago, I would’ve never described myself as “optimistic” or “adventurous” and I never thought the other scholars would’ve found me as appealing. However, I was wrong. This program allowed me to take risks and try new things and I don’t regret any decision I’ve made here. Thank you for the life-changing experience. Thank you, GSP. <3 by Uchechi Anyanwu
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And here is the long list of people that have truly left an impact on me.
Thank you to my leaders, Hayley Hoffman and Chris Wheeler for allowing me to express my opinion and creativity in ways that I never thought I could, and making me excited to do it. Thank you to my seminar leader, Dylan. Even though you balanced the difficult task of being head R.A. and Seminar leader, you never faltered. You’re someone who is easy to model. To Claire, my hall R.A. who made everyone she looked after feel accepted and loved. You being our “mother” is a vast understatement. To Ryan and Avery Tucker (the sissies), to Lauren Montgomery, Emma Slone, Sophia Drake, my main girls. You all are people that make a room light up, and make others feel seen and appreciated. Thank you for being my people, ones that will last a lifetime. To Olivia Pierce and Annie Yates, for being my day ones. The people that found me and loved me, even when I would disappear from time to time. To Ben Hightower, Gavin McGovern, Nate Donohue, Robert Butler, Evan Maglinger, Spencer Powell, and all the ones who annoy me on a daily basis. As much as I put women above everything, you are the only exceptions. I don’t think my experience would be quite the same—take that as you will. To Chloe Hornback, my school rival, the one who really gave life to the term “enemies to lovers”. I can’t imagine this experience without your wild thoughts, your funny falls, and our connected bond through Robbie. I would never want to do this without you, and I can’t begin to describe the place you hold in my heart. #FTP. And finally, Madison Grace. I think you are the fastest friend I have ever made. With the little we have in common, I never felt like I could relate to someone more. The connection we have is something that I never thought I could have with someone I barely know. I love you wholeheartedly, and you have made this the best five weeks. Thank you Chloe and Mady for being the people that make me… me. And an additional thank you to all the administrators, office staff, cafeteria and cleaning staff, and Centre—for being a place I can call home. by Bethany Craycroft When I first got the news I was accepted into the GSP, I cried. I couldn't imagine having to leave my family and home for 5 weeks and have to miss out on my summer time. I was so scared that I would never find my place and just be left alone on a random campus for five weeks. I couldn't have been more wrong. In this small amount of time I have met people that are now my best friends and new family. Bethany, Chloe, Ryan, Avery, Emma, Sophia, Ben, Gavin, Nate, Evan, Spencer, the list never ends. These people have shaped my life in a way they will never know. I can't say thank you enough to these people for the laughs, ping pong games, dances, meals, and all the amazing pictures. These friends are now a huge part of my life. They have shown me how I am so loved for just being my true self. I can't express the love I have for each and everyone of them. They will forever be my people, my sissys, and my sugas. I love you guys and from the bottom of my heart thank you.
by Mady Marsillett Dear GSP,
Thank you for making me cry all this week! Good tears though, I promise. Beyond what I can describe through words, I’m so grateful for this program and everything and everyone it’s given me. Each and every person that has been a part of my GSP experience deserves a thank you because no matter how little of an interaction I’ve had with them, they have changed me in some way. To my general studies and seminar class: From the moment I walked into that classroom, all of my fears and nerves about what these classes would hold were gone. Everyone was so kind and full of love for everyone else, and I’m grateful for all the memories and laughter we had there. I’m thankful for Mariama and her lessons that helped me gain a new perspective on life and exposed me to things I’d never thought about before. And a special thank you to her for letting us watch Young, Rich, and African (I’m wholeheartedly expecting a general studies class reunion so we can watch season two when it comes out)! I’m thankful for Jayden and everything she’s done for me during seminar. Not only did she help me learn to understand and appreciate myself, but she also taught me how I play a role in others’ lives and how they play a part in mine. To my focus area: I’m grateful for every day we spent in the lab working on stories and podcasts to post on the Centre of Attention. Thank you to everyone I worked with and for creating such a fun environment to be in. Hayley, thank you for being the best instructor ever. You have been such an incredible mentor and I’ve loved having you as a teacher for the past five weeks. Thanks for letting us sing really bad karaoke to and from UK, for gossiping with us in the van, and for admitting that we have been your favorite class so far. To my hall: Thank you for being so incredible. From the very first day, I have loved getting to know you all. Every hall meeting, every encouraging note during Moo Moo Monday, and everything else has been so special to me. A special thank you to Elia for being the best RA I could’ve asked for. You’re sweeter than honey and I’m so thankful that you turned our hall into a home… or a beehive. To all of my friends: No matter how big or small a part you were in my GSP experience, I want to say thank you. Each and every person I’ve met here has been nothing but kind and I’m grateful for this community we’ve created in the five weeks we’ve known each other. Thank you for all the memories and for the connections I hope last a lifetime. I’m certain that every single one of you will do such big things in life, and I can’t wait to see all that you do. To the people back home: Thank you for supporting and encouraging me while I applied to GSP. I couldn’t have done it without you. And a special shoutout to Emily Dodd for introducing me to one of my new best friends at GSP. Love you!!!! Thank you to everyone else who helped make GSP the experience that it has been. Thank you to the RAs for hosting fun clubs and for all the weekly RA Updates. Thank you to the dining staff for preparing and serving such great food for the past five weeks. Thank you, Joey, for counting down the minutes at community meetings every week. Thank you, Jenny, for keeping us up to date on all the events happening. Thank you, Bryan, for everything that you’ve done for us behind the scenes and for the stickers every Friday. Thank you to all of the office staff, RAs, Centre Staff, and everyone else who made this such an incredible opportunity. A final thank you to GSP for everything, everyone, and every experience you have given me. These have been some of the best 50,400 minutes of my life. by Aliza Sanchez GSP was more than I could have ever imagined it to be and it would not be possible without the incredible people in this community and the people behind the scenes who make this community possible.
First, a big thank you to Bryan, Jenny, and Joey for all that they do to make Centre GSP possible. Bryan, thank you for making time to help scholars review their applications and improve them for college. Thank you for always brightening scholars' days by handing out Happy Friday Stickers…and for being a team player when it comes to all the "dog jokes." Jenny, thank you for always reminding us to take care of ourselves and each other and for always being willing to help with whatever we need. Joey, thank you for sharing your wisdom with us every Monday morning and reminding us to cherish the minutes we have here at GSP. Centre GSP would not be the same without you all, thank you for making our summer so memorable! To the office staff and faculty, thank you all for all of the work you do to make GSP run smoothly! To everyone on the office staff, thank you for organizing the logistics for field trips and for uploading all the pictures for people back home to see. To the faculty at Centre GSP, thank you for organizing great classes and clubs for scholars to participate in and for creating a fun learning environment for all of us. We appreciate all the work you all do to give us a great summer! To all of the RAs- thank you all for everything! Your scholar's love you all so much! Thank you for making dorm life so great, for driving the vans on field trips, for sitting in the heat (or rain) on extended perimeter, for sharing your stories and experiences with us, for your support and encouragement, and for having so much fun with all of us! Brandon, thank you for always having the best energy and for making swing dance club and the van ride to Lexington so much fun! Loghan and Elia, thank you for making Swifite Sessions a blast every single week! Taylor Thursdays forever! Dylan and Joy, thank you for all you do for us to make sure we are all safe and have what we need! You all truly make our GSP experience so memorable and we could not be more grateful for each of you! To the Centre and Cowan Dining Staff, thank you!! Thank you for allowing us to use and enjoy your campus. Our experience would not be the same without such a wonderful campus. To the Cowan Dining Staff- thank you all for cooking great meals for us every single day. We are so grateful for all of your hard work and we love seeing you all every day! Grace, thank you for being the best RA in the world! Your Yerkes girls appreciate you so so so much! Thank you for laughing and talking with us, thank you for our super cute hall, for our short and sweet hall meetings that we love and appreciate so much, for your willingness to help… even if it involves a cockroach, and for making all of our GSP experiences so special and fun. Yerkes dorm life and GSP as a whole would not have been the same without you. I will miss you so so much, forever grateful for you! Yerkes floor 3 loves you!!! Hailey, thank you for being the best seminar leader ever! Thank you for creating a comfortable space for us to share ideas, opinions, and stories. Thank you for your encouragement and support over the last 5 weeks and for always making seminar meaningful and memorable. So appreciative of you and all you did to make our seminar so special. Hayley, thank you for making journalism so much fun! I had no idea about anything journalism related before coming to GSP but you made this class so insightful and special. Thank you for giving us so much creative freedom and giving us the opportunity to explore so many possibilities throughout the journalism world. I loved getting to work with you this summer and am so grateful for all you did to make this class so special. Mike, thank you for leading a fun and exciting general studies! Thank you for sharing your knowledge and experiences with us. I never knew what to expect coming into class and I loved that. Whether it was a drum circle or a rap battle I always had a great time. Thank you for teaching us to meditate and to value the present moment. We are so grateful for you! To all of my GSPals, I am so grateful GSP brought me you all. Thank you all for sharing all the good and the bad days of these last 5 weeks with me. Thank you for all of the memories we have made, the laughs and tears we have shared, and all the fun we have had. GSP wouldn’t be the same without the family I have here. Caroline and Mackenzie, I am going to miss our daily chaos more than anything. There's no one who can make me laugh as hard as you all do. Our card game nights will forever be my favorite. I’ll miss dancing, laughing, singing, and talking with y’all everyday. So glad we got to figure all of this out together. Love you all always. Jaelynn, so grateful we got to share a hall and a focus area. You make every day so fun. I will miss running to and from JVAC together. So grateful for you! Addy, thank you for being the best roommate ever! I have loved getting to know you. I will miss talking about our days, listening to the Neighbourhood, and laughing together. Sammie, thank you for being so sweet all the time! Going to miss eating lunch and dinner together and playing kemps before we have evening class. To my seminar and general studies class- thank you all for making these 5 weeks so fun and memorable. So glad we got to share stories and experiences together. To the journalism focus area, thank you all for making this class so special and fun. So glad we got to work together every week to create the newspaper and podcasts to document our 5 weeks. Yerkes Hall 3, thank you all for being the best hallmates!! I have loved getting to know you all. You all have the sweetest hearts and I'm so glad we got to spend these 5 weeks together. I will miss our hall meetings and frozen waffles. Y’all are the best!! To my family and friends back home, thank you for supporting me and encouraging me in all the ways you do. I love you all!! So many people have made this program and community what it is and we are so grateful. So, one last time, THANK YOU!!! by Audrey Reed I don’t think I could ever say thank you enough to this program. I am so thankful for the opportunities, people, and memories from the past five weeks.
To Hayley, thank you for being the best focus area leader ever. You have shared with us all your journalism knowledge, your amazing taste in music, and your love of sharing someone’s story. Thank you for taking us journalism kids in like your own and putting up with all our antics the past five weeks. I have loved getting to have you as a teacher and thank you for guiding me to what I want to do. Before GSP I wasn’t sure if I really could actually pursue a career in journalism but after this program I have a new confidence in my ability in writing and interviewing and I truly just love it. So thank you! To Addison, thank you for seminar. Past scholars have told me that seminar is “so weird” and “basically group therapy” so I wasn’t sure how it would go for me, but I loved it. You created such a safe environment for all of us in there and after the first thought bucket we all just clicked. You are so kind and it’s clear how passionate you are about the program and the people here. Thank you for assuring all of us that it’s okay to not know what the next step looks like and just reassuring us that it’s going to be alright and everyone will find their place. I will never forget the time spent in Young 138. To Hayden, thank you for sharing your intelligence and curiosity with us. I never knew what we would be doing in your classroom so it was always very interesting. Five weeks of exposing technology, researching different inventors, and becoming enthralled with the amish. I wouldn’t ask for it any other way. Thank you. To Jayden, thank you for Dino Hall. You have taken us all in and watched us grow from day one to day thirty-five. I have loved getting to know you through the occasional tea time and the last few minutes before curfew in Yerkes. You have made Yerkes a home for all of us and I’m so thankful. To Bailee, thank you for being my gsbestie for life. Coming into this program all I wanted was to make new life long friends. I was so worried that I wouldn’t make that connection but I can happily say I did. Thank you for being so accepting, always listening to my trauma dumping, singing with me in the laundry room, and just being you. I love you and I’m so thankful to have met you and blessed to call you my best friend. To Aliza, Stella, Kallise, Kylie, Maddie Berner, and Zach thank you for being the best group of people ever and allowing me to be a part of such a welcoming environment. I love you guys so much and I can’t wait to see you all again as soon as possible. To my family, friends, and everyone back home, thank you for pushing me to get here. You know how badly I wanted to be in this program and you all have been the best support system. I love you. To all the faculty, staff, RAs, scholars, and the program itself, from the bottom of my heart thank you for this community. by Maddie Brother Thank you Ryan, Bethany, Mady, and Olivia for being my best friends in journalism and for also always making me laugh. You guys were the best thing to happen to me. Walking in on opening day, I knew you guys were gonna impact my life. I love y'all!!!
Thank you to my focus area. Working with all of you has even a privilege. I will miss all the Wednesdays of Spotify listening and laughing will we work. You guys all made me had the best laughs. Thank you Hayley for genuinely being the best teacher and person. You taught me so much more than I thought was possible and I have loved learning from you. Thank you Michelle for always talking to us like we mean something and for sharing your story with us. General studies loves you so much!!! You have had a big impact on me and my life already. Momma Michelle you will be missed:)))) Thank you Samantha Chaney for being my best friend here. Don't know what I'm gonna do without our hall meeting mac and cheeses. You are truly such a good person inside and out. Thank you for making me laugh always. Not seeing you everyday is definitely one of the most sad parts about leaving. Also don't know where I'd be on my gym grind without you. You make me want to become a better person with all of the positivity that you show. Thank you to my parents and friends back home who pushed me to have this experience. I don't know what I would do without this opportunity. Thank you to the BEST seminar group! We have all been through experiences together that I will forever remember. I will miss you all:( Also a big thanks to Loghan!!! You were the best leader. Thank you for sharing your experiences with us as well. And thank you GSP for the best experience. Everyone I have came across has impacted me in some way and I am forever thankful for these moments. From the cries to the laughs, I wouldn't want it any other way. by Lauren Montgomery There are so many people to thank for my experience here, so I’ll try and make this short.
First off, I want to thank my teachers. Thank you Hayley for an amazing focus area. I wanted to try something new here, and I got to learn about journalism in the best environment with the most fun and instructive teacher. I also want to thank Clint for the best general studies I could have hoped for. I went from thinking The Thing About Dolly was just a joke that had to do with Dolly to helping write a letter to Dolly to support our auction, so thank you for imparting on us your love of Dolly Parton. I also want to thank my RAs. Thank you to Savannah for being the sweetest and most understanding seminar leader. I’ll never forget the discussions we had in class or the lessons we learned. And thank you Jess for being such an amazing RA. Northside 203 has been so amazing because of you, and I’m so glad you were my RA. And lastly, thank you to all of my friends and classmates. Without you, I would not have had the one-of-a-kind experience here at GSP that I had. by Anakha Shah Where do I even begin? I am so grateful for this opportunity and each person it has led me to.
Thank you to Centre College and the staff for allowing us to call Centre our home for the past five weeks, feeding us the best food, and treating us so kindly. Know that you are appreciated and none of this would be possible without you. Thank you to all of the faculty and RA’s for guiding and leading us through this experience. Thank you Hayley for teaching all of us journalism kids everything you know, playing the best music, and loving us unconditionally. Thank you Lovence for teaching us so much and not losing your mind when we become a little too much to handle. You deserve an award for that. Thank you Wes for putting up with us this long and helping us to become vulnerable with each other. Thank you Jayden for loving each of your dino hall gals and always being there for us. We appreciate you. Maddie, thank you for being my human diary, laundry room and bench singing partner, and just being an all around amazing human being. To Aliza, Stella, Kallise, Kylie, Zach, and Maddie Berner, each of you have changed my life in your own way and I am so terribly grateful for our friendship. My GSPals, I am so blessed to know such exceptional and kind people from all across the Commonwealth. I love each of you. Finally, to my family and friends back in Breck, thank you for supporting and loving me through this entire experience. From sending me letters, care packages, or words of encouragement, your outpouring of love to me has meant everything. Thank you. It breaks my heart to have to say goodbye, but I am so thankful to have experienced something and met people who make it hard. Thank you GSP! by Bailee Harper Like many people say, it is hard to describe what GSP means to me and what it was like being here. I think that is because you will never be able to describe the events that occurred to a non scholar without it sounding boring or like a summer camp. Non scholars will not understand why you made the friends you made, why you participated in the things you did here, and why the memories, relationships, and discoveries you made here have such an impact on you.
For this, I thank GSP. Without GSP, I would have never met all these wonderful people, and had these amazing experiences. I will never be able to fully explain to my friends at home why this program had such an impact. I will always have to answer, “You just had to be there." It's sad but they will never truly understand why GSP was such a great experience. Thank you GSP for pushing me to try new things like swing dancing and zen meditation. I thank GSP for pushing me out of my comfort zone to meet new people and instilling the idea that I shouldn't be scared to do embarrassing things because the people you meet, not only at GSP, will probably never see you again so if you embarrass yourself you don't ever have to talk to that person ever again. Lastly I would like to thank Aris Cedeño, Bryan Rich, Joey Budd, Jenny Garcia, the Faculty, the RA’s, and the Centre Staff. Without these people I would not have had the experience I had here at GSP. They built a great environment for us as scholars to have a true GSP and they did a great job. Thank you GSP. ;) By Elijah Hall |