This week, 342 high school students arrived on Bellarmine University’s campus for the Kentucky Governor’s Scholars Program. The five-week program, which runs from June 23 to July 27, is a summer residential experience of college life and academic courses for outstanding Kentucky high school students who are rising seniors. Bellarmine, which previously hosted the program from 2004 to 2015, is one of three host campuses for the next three summers gov-scholars-logo“We are delighted to welcome students from Kentucky Governor’s Scholars Program to our campus this summer,” said Dr. Susan M. Donovan, Bellarmine’s president. “The university’s mission to educate students in mind, body and spirit aligns with the Governor’s Scholars Program’s focus on supporting the academic and personal growth of their participants. We look forward to giving the Commonwealth’s future leaders an opportunity to learn and grow while experiencing Bellarmine’s hospitality.” The program originated in 1983 as a response to concerns that Kentucky's best and brightest students were leaving the Commonwealth to pursue educational and career opportunities elsewhere, without fully understanding the potential of their talents at home. The program’s mission is to enrich Kentucky’s next generation of leaders. Throughout the program, speakers and performers from a range of disciplines and pursuits will visit campus to share their experiences with scholars. The program includes field trips, special events and a film series to nurture their sense of learning and leadership. In order to participate in the Governor's Scholars Program, students must be nominated by their high schools and then compete with other students from across Kentucky. Selection for the program is highly competitive, with an application process similar to college admission. To be eligible, a student must:
  • be in 11th grade and intend to return to a Kentucky school district in the fall.
  • be a current resident of Kentucky.
  • have taken the ACT, PSAT or SAT.
Article by Daniel Spitza, intern in Bellarmine's Office of Enrollment, Marketing and Communication