The Tennessee Governor’s Schools will have five students from Seymour High School this summer. The month long program started by Governor Lamar Alexander with five schools of study, now encompasses seven focuses and an eighth self-funded school. About 150 students attend each school, which are hosted on in-state college campuses. The majority of students have finished their junior year of high school, while some selections are from the sophomore class.
The School for the Arts held at MTSU will be a summer destination for Nathan Rodriquez, Ryan Hatcher and Jeran Guffey. Hatcher and Rodriquez attend in Vocal Music after being selected from their applications on academics as well as an audition. Guffey competed in a one-day art exhibition to win a slot in Visual Arts.
Jessi Peterson will spend her month at UT in Knoxville attending the School for the Sciences. Sciences is one of the most competitive schools to enter and Peters will be in the minority of attendees as a female. “I’m very competitive and that’s why I decided to try and get in,” said Peterson. A varsity athlete, she will be fitting Governor’s School into her summer around basketball and volleyball camps.
Grant McCarty’s summer will include his stay at the School for Tennessee Heritage at ETSU. McCarty’s application included extra essays on history, the school’s focus. The program includes numerous field trips to historic sites.
Thousands of students apply from across Tennessee and some who win a spot decide not to attend due to other commitments or choose one school over another. The result being that the programs choose alternates who are invited as berths open up. Jay Elliott is left in this limbo of not knowing if he is going to the Governor’s School for the Arts or not. As an alternate he’s waiting on decisions by others, and jokes that, “maybe I can get one of them sick.” Elliott says he applied, “to be around a lot of talented students with similar interest.” His back-up plan is to attend the National Beta Club Convention and a singing camp in Texas.
The group had little worries about spending a month on a college campus and they are looking forward to their academic adventures. The curriculum comprises daily sessions and specialty workshops by guest speakers, but it’s not all work as students are given plenty of free time to socialize, take field trips, and use the universities’ facilities.

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