For Allen County-Scottsville High School seniors Lily Cook and Jackson Smith, five weeks away from home during the summer of 2026 provided far more than an early taste of college life. It offered challenging courses, new friendships and a place among some of Kentucky’s most accomplished high school students.
Cook and Smith were selected for the Kentucky Governor’s Scholars Program (GSP), a prestigious residential summer program for outstanding students who have completed their junior year. Candidates advance through an extensive application process and school and district review before being considered by a statewide selection committee.
Established in 1983, GSP combines academic study with leadership development, cultural activities and residential life. Students attend at no cost and participate in a nontraditional learning environment without grades or academic credit. The program emphasizes intellectual and personal growth rather than competition.
Cook attended GSP at Morehead State University, while Smith spent his five weeks at Centre College in Danville.
Although they studied on different campuses, the two returned with similar reflections about the people they met, the perspectives they gained and the value of stepping beyond familiar surroundings.
Cook applied because she wanted to test herself outside her hometown.
“I really wanted to challenge myself,” Cook explained. “Obviously, we’re from a smaller town, so I wanted to see what I could accomplish outside of Allen County.”
She also looked forward to meeting students from across Kentucky. Smith’s interest in GSP began, in part, when Cook told him about the opportunity.
“I heard about all the scholarship opportunities,” Smith recalled. “I just thought it would be really cool to meet other peers—people who want to be there—and learn new things.”
Although GSP does not award scholarships itself, numerous Kentucky colleges and universities offer scholarship opportunities to students who complete the program.
Cook admitted that she did not fully know what to expect when she arrived in Morehead.
“It’s hard to explain to people who haven’t been,” she noted. “But when I got there, I just fell in love with it. I had the best time ever.”
Cook’s focus area was philosophy, with an emphasis on ancient Greek philosophers. The class included debates about philosophical questions and gave students opportunities to examine ideas from different perspectives.
Her general studies course concentrated on forensic science, including criminal behavior, classifications and the motives behind certain crimes. She also participated in a leadership seminar that encouraged scholars to consider how they could use their abilities in their schools and communities.
At Centre, Smith selected historical analysis as his focus area. The course examined nuclear history from the Manhattan Project and the first atomic bomb through present-day issues, including how artificial intelligence could affect the nuclear field.
Smith and his classmates also heard perspectives from people with direct connections to major international events.
Guests included a former diplomat, a Ukrainian woman who experienced the Chernobyl disaster as a child and a woman from Kazakhstan who grew up near an area used for Soviet nuclear testing.
“It was cool to learn about not only the science, but also how it ties in today and even to a normal person,” Smith explained. “It affects us all, even if you wouldn’t think so.”
His general studies course, “When Nature Speaks,” explored environmental issues. Smith discovered an unexpected connection between that class and his study of nuclear history.
Both courses examined Chernobyl—one through its historical consequences and the other through the recovery of the surrounding environment. Smith also studied how sunflowers can help remove radioactive materials from contaminated soil.
“There was a lot of overlap there, even if it was unintentional,” he said.
Like Cook, Smith participated in a leadership seminar intended to prepare students for college, independence and the adjustment of being away from home.
The learning extended well beyond the classroom. Smith took part in clubs, showcases, dances, recreational activities and excursions into Danville. Students were frequently allowed to choose among activities based on their interests.
Cook found that some of her most important lessons came simply from talking with other scholars.
“You get to meet all these different people and learn about their lives and how their lives are different from yours, even though we live in the exact same state,” she explained. “It was way above my expectations.”
Both students returned to Allen County with friendships that stretched across the commonwealth.
Smith described the scholars as students with different career interests but a shared desire to learn and improve themselves.
“You kind of built a cool friendship with all these people,” he said. “Even though you might not be doing the same
thing education-wise, all of you have a similar drive to want to learn.”
Cook has also remained in contact with friends she met in Morehead, including students from Louisville, Lexington, and other parts of Kentucky.
“Even just getting to see them once a month or on a random Thursday, it’s amazing to see the friends you meet there,” she stated.
Cook said the experience taught her to look beyond first impressions and recognize that everyone carries a different personal story. It also strengthened her belief that improving a community requires the involvement of many people.
“It’s not one single person who’s going to help improve Allen County. It’s everyone,” Cook said. “GSP really tells you how important community is and how important it is to build each other up instead of tearing people down.”
Smith also expects the lessons and connections from Centre to follow him into college and beyond.
For other AC-S students considering the highly competitive program, both offered the same advice: Apply.
Cook acknowledged that completing the application requires time and effort, but she believes the process itself gives students an opportunity to reflect on everything they have accomplished.
“It’s definitely a long process, but I do think it’s worth it in the end,” she explained. “The sooner you start, the better.”
Smith agreed, noting that the program offers benefits extending well beyond potential college scholarships.
“I definitely think it’s worth anyone’s time to try to apply,” he said. “There are a lot of great opportunities there—not only scholarship-wise, but also the connections you make.”
Five weeks initially sounded like a long time away, but Smith found himself wishing the experience could continue.
“It might feel a little awkward at first, but once you get through it, you realize it was so much fun,” he said. “You kind of wish you could stay longer.”
Cook, the daughter of Shane and Shelley Cook, is a member of the Lady Patriot volleyball team. Smith, the son of
Adam Smith, has participated in AC-S school drama productions.
Cook and Smith returned from different campuses with different academic experiences, but both brought home the
same message: Allen County students can compete, contribute and belong among Kentucky’s brightest young leaders.