North Carolina Governor’s School, a program that takes place during the summer months for four and a half weeks, has been helping teenagers learn and grow not only as students but people as well. The program focuses specifically on the arts, music, English and many other subjects that a student would want to become an expert in. Governor’s School simultaneously provides basic skills for education and helps transition students into the college environment. Governor’s School provides many benefits for growth and opportunity and helps students further understand a certain subject.
This program provides a basis for academic success and opportunity in the state of NC. Focusing on a specific subject — music, for instance — can bring together students from multiple counties to grow both artistically and intellectually. Cooper Miller, a junior, was recently accepted into the program for music and speaks about what this opportunity could mean for him.
“I’ve heard a lot of good things about [the program], and I’ve heard that it’s pretty prestigious, so I’m excited about that,” Miller said, “I’m excited to be surrounded by a community of good musicians.”
Governor’s School is a very unique experience that allows students to meet many like-minded people. Teenagers can learn and grow alongside others, and broaden their knowledge of interesting subjects. Mackenzie Book, a senior at Wakefield High School, participated in the program last year and discusses her experience meeting new people.
“You get to meet a lot of different people, you get to meet people that probably very likely are going to your career, your field or the school you want to go to,” Book said.
The program not only brings people together, but it allows students to prepare for college and allows for them to be on their own. Marin Lee, a junior who is also attending the program this summer, acknowledges how the program can help with these preparations.
“It’ll help me get used to being on-campus, on colleges, away from home,” Lee said. “I think it’ll be a great opportunity, especially for colleges.”
The program attempts to bring intelligent students together to learn more. Charles Hensey, a human geography and psychology teacher at Wakefield High School as well as a former member of the program, is now an avid member of the alumni community, and he speaks about what the program is looking for when it comes to students.
“They’re looking for students who are very creative thinkers, who are very inquisitive and who enjoy learning, but who are [also] mature enough to handle themselves in a collegiate type setting,” Hensey said.
This program provides a place for students to learn, branch out of their comfort zones and become more intellectually advanced in their given subject. It gives a place for these kids to bond and grow not only as students in a school system but as people of society.
“The most beneficial thing about Governor’s School is that it brings together students from across the state to meet each other,” Hensey said, “And to explore various topics, academic and artistic ones, at very high levels.”
