On Tuesday, October 15, students from each high school in Fayette County took part in the preliminary county interviews for the competitive Georgia Governor’s Honors Program (GHP). According to gosa.georgia.gov, GHP is a four-week, summer residential 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. The program will take place at Valdosta State University from June 22 to July 19, 2014.

The application process began when students were nominated by teachers in their respective fields. GHP offers about 20 concentrations from music and social studies to foreign languages and mathematics. Different subjects required specific interview procedures. For example, musical applicants auditioned with their instrument of choice, while social studies applicants participated in a mock debate. Junior Johnny Vargas, a social studies GHP candidate, said, “The county interview was stressful to say the least; the first impression was that everything and anything could go wrong. I know one girl who had her instrument break before her audition!”

About one week after the county interviews, students were informed if they made it to the state interviews or not. McIntosh had a sizable number of candidates make it past the first round, and those students will be preparing for the upcoming interviews. New assistant principal, Mrs. Stacey Smith, is heading the GHP procedures. She has taken care of all the paperwork, has held meetings with all the student candidates and has previous experience with the program as an AP Chemistry teacher and GHP interviewer/judge. Mrs. Smith also plans to coordinate mock interviews in early January.

Depending on which area applied for, the state interviews will take place on January 25 or February 1 at either Pebblebrook or Luella High School. All students have different motives for seeking to take part in the prestigious summer program. Johnny said, “I chose to apply because the program seems like a great way to expand my knowledge of social studies and hang out with the brightest.”