Three Local Students Chosen For Governor's Scholar Program

From L-R: Guidance Counselor Guidance Counselor Kevan Alford, Junior students Claire Burklow and Lily Jayne Vincent, and Principal Johnathan Williams.

Edmonson Voice Report:
​Edmonson County High School has announced that junior Lily Jayne Vincent, daughter of Tom and Laura Vincent, has been selected to the Kentucky Governor's Scholar Program.

In addition, Claire Burklow, daughter of Leroy and Michelle Burklow, was selected as an alternate for the program.

“These students completed a very thorough application based on academic, volunteer, and extracurricular experience, completion of a writing essay, and teacher/community member recommendations,” ECHS said in a statement. “Both girls were selected as two of the six representatives to be sent to the GSP selection committee by the Edmonson County School District. The state level was a very competitive field of 1,754 outstanding young Kentuckian applicants from which Vincent and Burklow were selected.

Vincent will attend a five-week program this summer at one of a handful of colleges in the state of Kentucky that host the GSP program. Burklow will have an opportunity to attend depending on the number of selected GSP students who may or may not follow through with attending the program.

Brody Johnson, selected for GSP by the state.

Brody Johnson, son of Brad and Jodi Johnson, was also selected as a Governor’s Scholar by the state of Kentucky. Johnson attends the Gatton Academy at WKU and was selected from among the members of Gatton to go before the state selection committee.

The Governor’s Scholars Program is a summer residential program for outstanding high school students in Kentucky who are rising seniors. The Program originated in 1983 as a result of Kentucky leaders’ concern that the state’s “best and brightest” were leaving the Commonwealth to pursue educational and career opportunities elsewhere without fully understanding the potential of their talents at home. Students who are selected attend the Program without charge. In the spirit of partnership, the Office of the Governor, the Kentucky State Legislature, and private enterprise come together to provide the financial support for the Program.

Student Application and Selection Packets are sent to every public, private and parochial school district in the state. Applications may be picked up in the school guidance office in late September or downloaded from our website. Before reaching the statewide competition, each student must first submit his or her application through his or her school and participate in the school and/or district level competitions. Only those students selected and submitted by their district (or unaffiliated private school) may compete in the statewide selection process. The number of nominees each district may submit to the statewide process is based on the district-wide junior class enrollment. Over 2,000 applications are received at the state level each year, with approximately 1,000 students selected to attend.