Governor’s Honors – held each summer at Valdosta State University - is a highly competitive six-week summer instructional program designed to provide intellectually gifted and artistically talented high school students challenging and enriching educational opportunities not usually available during the regular school year.

Nominees and their parents were honored at a breakfast at the Central Educational Center on Thursday, January 15. The breakfast was sponsored by Newnan Utilities, BB&T Bank, NuLink Cable and the Georgia Power Company.

Nominated in a variety of academic areas, the students have partcipated in formal interviews to attend the prestigious summer academic program at the end of January through the beginning of February. They will move on to another round of interviews before they can be selected for the summer program.

This year’s Coweta County Governor’s Honors Program nominees and their majors are:

From the Central Educational Center: Joseph Bohler (technology), Lindsay Graner (technology), Jeffry Snyder (executive management).

From East Coweta High School: Benjamin Bockeneck (social studies), Jasleen Bolina (chemistry), Hannah Clayton (visual arts), Rachael Copeland (communicative arts), Anthony Davila (French), Eric Fleckenstein (mathematics), Olivia Jenkins (dance), Margaret Kazmierczak (social studies), Natalie Markham (theatre), Tiara Mason (visual arts), Whitney Reddish (visual arts), Sophia Santos (music/percussion), Hannah Smith (Theatre).

From Newnan High School: Erica Boyd (visual arts), Chandler Brandenburg (chemistry), Ellen Dorrell (theatre), Brett Eisenmann (chemistry), Thomas Frost (music/brass-trumpet), Kate Gallagher (social studies), Katie Turner (visual arts), Jordan White (music/brass-tuba).

From Northgate High School: Kelsi Adams (theatre), Sofia Barrera (communicative arts), Bevin Bithell (dance), Brittany Fears (theatre), DeJuana Ford (communicative arts), Jennifer Garritson (dance), Krysten Johnson (music/voice-soprano), Jennie Lambert (music/voice-soprano), Rachel Lowry (visual arts), Micah Prescott (music/percussion), Donophan Price (social studies), Abbey Stokely (chemistry).

This year’s Governor’s Honors nominees were recognized by Superintendent Blake Bass and the students’ high school principals.

2008 Governor’s Honors student Thomas Broadwater - a CEC student who was chosen to attend the program with a major in technology – spoke, and gave the students an idea of the college-campus experience that awaited them if chosen.

Broadwater’s parents – Alan and Mary Broadwater also spoke. Mrs. Broadwater told parents what to expect of the program. Mr. Broadwater told them of his experiences as a 1977 Governor’s Honors student. He attended in largely the same category as his son – drafting and design - though “pre-computer… it was pretty much pencils and slide rules.”