All about Governor's School

Governor’s School is a summer program provided free of charge by the state to bring together top students with various interests. Several states do this and I know that Theresa’s son Michael was selected to go to Governor’s School in his state. High school teachers are asks to nominate outstanding students in different programs – art, music, mathematics, English, science, musical instrument, and of course theater. If they get in they go for 6 weeks with highly qualified, enthusiastic teachers for intense study in a field you love but no papers to write, no test to take. Just studying and learning for the love of it. You live away from home in college dorms, meet new friends that share your interest and just soak up the experience. When LJ was nominated by his theater teacher we really did not know anything about the program and he was very torn. The summer before he had been cast in a local outdoor historical theater, his first paying acting job. That was also where he met Colin and he was hoping to be cast with him in that play again. I know now he also was not thrilled about being away from Colin all summer. It was also going to be a lot of work to get in. He had to write several essays and then he had to audition. He just wasn’t sure he wanted to do it enough to do all that. I am real big on letting my children make their own decisions – but that doesn’t mean I don’t give my opinion! I asked him to go through the process to see if he could get in. If he was chosen then the decision to go or not would be his alone. After the all the papers were written and the auditions were over LJ got yet another summer offer to audition for ‘Lost in Yonkers’ with a professional company where he had taken a class. Next came the news that he had made it into Governor’s School and he had his first taste of having to give up something you want to do for something else you want. He, of course, chose to go into this advanced program and he has since told me it was the most important and best decisions he has made in his life so far. It worked out great for me too. Although I let him decide I was pulling for Governor’s school and he knew it. Do you realize I can say ‘I told you so’ for years!! And just in case you think I am painting my son as excessively mature and wise I want to let you know that he and his friends were real live teenagers while they were there. His group had two tee-shirts made. One said on the front “Theater student”, and on the back “Yes, we’re elitist bastards.” The other was for their dorm which read “Adcock Dorm, standing firm since its erection in 1939.” You gotta love teenagers!