A total of 18 students from the county’s high schools have been selected to attend this summer’s Governor’s Honors Program.

Judges selected the participants based on interviews and auditions of all statewide nominees. The following students were selected: (Fayette County High) Franklin Lowe, social studies. (McIntosh High) Logan Austin, communicative arts; Nicholas Chang, mathematics; Bridget Hempel, German; Jessica Morris, communicative arts; Ji-Soo Shin, mathematics; Ellen Smith, biology; and Courtney Stone, music/voice. (Starr’s Mill High) Robert Bacon, German; Katherine Fitzgerald, Spanish; Anthony Giertych, technology; Shane Mudrinich, music/voice; Chris Pham, Spanish; Haley Strauss, music/woodwinds; and Chase Thomaston, theatre. (Whitewater High) Roger Jewell, music/brass; Amy Melton, music/brass; and Sagar Pattani, social studies.

The Governor’s Honors Program provides intellectually gifted and artistically talented high school students challenging and enriching educational opportunities not usually available during the regular school year. Activities give participants opportunities to acquire the skills, knowledge and attitudes to become independent, life-long learners.

The selection process is lengthy and begins in the fall when teachers from each high school nominate students for outstanding performance in particular areas of study. The nominated students advance to county-level interviews where those for state consideration are selected.