A different path to GSP

By Renee Laurent
Caldwell County High School

High school seniors from across the state of Kentucky have taken over Horrigan Hall this summer, making it the regular hang-out spot for Governor’s Scholars attending a five-week program on the Bellarmine University campus in Louisville.
Horrigan, which houses the bookstore, student activity center and a large café, was buzzing this summer as scholars swooped in during their rare moments of free time. Many would use the hall’s computer access to check their Facebook pages, while others would sit on the couches playing card games. Another group often formed in the middle of the room, laughing and playing pool.
They were all strangers when they arrived on campus June 19 to begin the Governor’s Scholars Program, a unique and intense educational and leadership course. Now they were playing together, teasing and laughing like lifelong friends. Of course many of them were selected because of their records of academic and social leadership.
In the midst of this group Travis Wilson hung out with his new buddies, a regular guy no different from all the other high school kids. Except Travis had never been to high school. He had taken a very different path, where social life was not necessarily a major factor.
At home in Burlington, Travis starts his mornings at 7:30, getting ready for a day of classes. But instead of jumping in his car to drive to school, he simply walks downstairs.
Travis’s home is his school, as it has been since 7th grade.
“It was a difficult decision that my parents and I made together – mostly for more college classes.” Travis said.
Families make the decision to homeschool for a lot of different reasons, including religious beliefs, family closeness and educational control, but for the Wilson family it was all about educational opportunity. By homeschooling, Travis had the flexibility to attend college classes at nearby Thomas More College in Crestview Hills.
At the end of his junior year Travis had earned 18 college credits, and he plans to graduate high school with 27, a solid head start on his college degree.
“The best part about being homeschooled is the time to focus on schoolwork,” he said, while admitting his days can be long at times “I had a college paper I had to do that I worked on from 8a.m. to 10p.m. with a one-hour break and breaks for meals.”
Travis was one of 11 homeschooled students selected by the prestigious Governor’s Scholars Program, which begins its selection process in Kentucky’s system of public and private high schools. For homeschoolers, parents and homeschool associations must take the extra step of making GSP officials aware if they have qualified students. Of more than 2,000 applicants less that 1,100 make the cut for the residency program at Bellarmine and two other campuses, Centre College and Murray State University.
The stereotype of a homeschool student is of a quiet and perhaps introverted person with not much of a social life. But scholars at Bellarmine get an entirely different picture when they see students like Travis or David Pagan a homeschooler from Paris, Ky., who’ll work on his newly acquired “moonwalk” in the middle of a dance circle. And then there’s GSP Residential Advisor and extreme extrovert Joseph Underwood, who is the campus “flash mob” leader at Bellarmine.
“Homeschooling has changed a lot in the last 10 to 15 years with the creation of homeschool associations” said Brian Rich, Associate Campus Director at Bellarmine University. In addition to providing enhanced educational and social opportunities, Rich said the associations are often the conduit for homeschool applicants to GSP.
In addition to his studies, Travis is a well-rounded young person who is involved in many community service activities including Lifeline Ministries, the 4-H Sharpshooters, and a political volunteering organization, which he started in his area. He also holds a weekend job at World Golf in Florence, and is an avid weightlifter and college sports fan.
“Travis never has a bad thing to say about anyone,” said new friend and General Studies classmate Katelyn Sandell, of Assumption High School in Louisville. “He is really nice and easy to get along with.”
For Travis, the transition to Governor’s Scholars was seamless, but he does miss the chance for “a little alone time,” — like he had at his home school.