Ten years and counting - The 2009-10 school year marks the tenth anniversary of the residential high school program at the South Carolina Governor's School for the Arts and Humanities. The Class of 2010 will be the tenth graduating class. The last 2010 senior to receive a diploma, Emily Wyant of Greer (Music, Viola) will be our 1,000^th student to graduate!

The campus opened in the fall of 1999 and graduated its first class in 2001. Most students enter as juniors and complete a full high school academic curriculum in addition to intensive studies in their selected arts discipline: creative writing, dance, drama, music (instrument or voice) or visual arts.

By the start of the 2009-10 school year, the Governor's School had graduated about 890 students, representing various counties throughout the state. These students have been offered a total of $97.4 million in

arts and academic scholarships to the finest colleges, universities and conservatories in South Carolina and the United States.

Community Service in Action - Hannah Vaughn, a Dance student from Anderson, became concerned about arts programs at area elementary schools after reading about one district's planned budget cuts to artistic programs. In response, Hannah formed Tutus for Tots, a non-profit organization that provides gently used dance attire to students whose families may not be able to afford it. 

Hannah took her program to Calhoun Academy of the Arts in Anderson, where the poverty level among students is greater than 70 percent, according to Danet Mors, Dance instructor at Calhoun Academy. Hannah has collected more than 150 pieces of professional dance attire and more than 200 dance accessories to help aspiring dancers achieve their dreams.

As a result of her efforts, Hannah is a Distinguished Finalist for the 2010 Prudential Spirit of Community Awards in South Carolina. The program's goals are to applaud young people who are making a positive difference in their towns and neighborhoods, and to inspire others to think about how they might contribute to their communities. Over the past 15 years, more than 280,000 young Americans have participated in the program, and more than 90,000 of them have been officially recognized for their volunteer work. Hannah is a former student of T.L. Hanna High School.

Success of National Proportions - Euphonium player McCormick "Mick" Wooden, formerly of Paul M. Dorman High School in Spartanburg, was named winner of the National Level Music Teacher's National Association's Senior Brass Competition, held in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Mick advanced to the national competition after claiming first place spots in both the state and regional competitions earlier this year. In Albuquerque, Mick competed against brass players from seven regions for the distinction of National Winner. He received a $2,000 cash prize.

Creative Writing students Uchechi Kalu of Orangeburg and Jake Ross of Greenville are among 20 students in the nation to be named 2010 U.S. Presidential Scholars in the Arts, through the National Foundation for Advancement in the Arts' (NFAA) YoungArts Program. Each year, YoungArts begins with more than 6,000 applicants and, through a rigorous adjudication process, nominates 60 YoungArts Finalists for consideration by the White House Commission on Presidential Scholars. Twenty finalists are named Presidential Scholars in the Arts. In June, Uchechi and Jake will be honored in Washington, D.C., during a White House sponsored ceremony.

From Greenville County to New York City - Drama student Kailey Bray of Easley has been accepted into the Drama Division of the Juilliard School in New York. "This is the gold standard among honors and recognitions for a young actor," said Governor's School Drama Department Chair Daniel Murray. Kailey was chosen as one of eight women and 10 men out of more than 1,200 prospective students worldwide who auditioned. Famous alumni of the prestigious Juilliard program include Kevin Kline, William Hurt, Val Kilmer, Laura Linney, Patti LuPone, Kevin Spacey, Ving Rhames, Robin Williams and Christopher Reeve.

Kailey is the seventh Drama graduate accepted to Juilliard since 2003. She follows in the footsteps of Nicole Beharie, '03; Teyonah Parris and Stacey Scott, '05; Elizabeth Bennett, '06; and Danielle Brooks and Erin Dailey, '07. The Governor's School Drama program continues to place more students in the Juilliard program than any other high school in the United States.

Visual arts student Glory Loflin, formerly of Wade Hampton High School in Greenville, has been accepted to  The Cooper Union School of Art in New York, one of the oldest and most prestigious art institutions in the nation. Each year more than 2,000 students from around the world apply to The Cooper Union; typically, 60 applicants are accepted into its School of Art.

Accepted students are granted a full scholarship and are given the opportunity to work and interact with the best creative minds in the art world. Glory will be the fourth visual arts student from the Governor's School to attend The Cooper Union. Previous attendees are Ryan Revell (2008), Alex Wood (2004) and Joseph Kay (2002).  

Senior Class Legacy - Senior students are raising money in support of scholarships to the 2011 Discovery Program, as a class gift to the Governor's School. Discovery is the Governor's School's two-week summer program for rising ninth graders who are interested in creative writing, drama, music or visual arts. The Governor's School for the Arts Foundation will match donations from the Senior class.

The scholarship will be available to 2010 IGNITE summer arts camp participants, who will be eligible for the Discovery Program in 2011. IGNITE, in partnership with the Governor's School, offers rising eighth grade students in Greenville County weeklong exposure to programs in creative writing, dance, drama, music and visual arts. Previous arts experience is not required and IGNITE is free to participants.

"Through the generosity of their senior gift, our seniors are already encouraging the next generation of emerging artists," said Dr. Bruce Halverson, Governor's School President. "In these challenging times, their thoughtfulness should inspire each of us to ask how we might support and encourage the talented young people of our state."

For the second consecutive year, IGNITE is sponsored through a generous grant from the Hollingsworth Fund. IGNITE will be held June 7-11 at the Frazee Dream Center, and July 5-9 and August 2-6 at the West End Community Development Center. For more information about the IGNITE Summer Arts Camp, contact Dana Swartzel, IGNITE Coordinator at 864.268.6161 or rdswartzel@charter.net.