When I arrived on Berry College's campus and unloaded my bags on the first day of the Governor’s Honors Program, I had no idea of the magic that awaited me in the following four weeks, starting with placing the orange GHP lanyard around my neck.
In the opening ceremonies, each speaker reminded us that it was not only a privilege to be there that Sunday morning, but an honor. This was the first time we would be referred to as “Georgia’s best and brightest,” and it most definitely would not be the last. Those words were a constant reminder of the responsibility all of us had to take the knowledge we would gain back to our communities and use it to make a difference.
As I began to meet new people the first week, I immediately noticed how passion seemed to radiate off my peers. Whether it was talking about writing a slam poem or the mechanics behind building a bridge, each major was engulfed in their area of study and craved for further exploration. My major, social studies, was no exception. Each week we chose two classes ranging from Gender as a Social Construct to American Pop Music, and in each class, discussion and dialogue led our way to personal epiphanies and self discovery.
GHP gathers students from all walks of life and regions of Georgia, creating an extremely diverse environment that allowed me to attain a broader perspective on the world we live in. Each social studies major was required to give a “This I Believe” speech, inspired by the popular NPR series. I watched my peers get up each week and bare their souls. They told stories of their backgrounds, how they derived their morals, and their dreams for our nation. Hearing the stories of people of all sides of the political spectrum and truly understanding why they subscribe to the policies and politics they do helped create amazing political discourse throughout the program. I found myself shedding any preconceived notions and labels I had about certain political ideologies and the people who subscribed to them. Debate and discussion in class became much less polarized as we began to understand how someone’s experiences had influence on why they believed what they did.
I participated in a mock Senate where each student was assigned a state and required to write three pieces of legislation throughout the course of the program; however, there was one abnormality, there were to be no political parties. Our teachers wanted to challenge us to reach farther than the constraints of a label. We were encouraged to remove the partisanship and just be students who loved their country and wanted to work together now, and in the future, to make Georgia and the United States a better place.
My GHP magic wasn’t found in the books I read or in the orange lanyard I wore. I found the magic in the laughs, tears, and everything in between that I shared with people who thought differently than me. I made friendships that I truly believe will last a lifetime, and I could not be more grateful to have been selected to attend.
