Kentucky Governor’s Scholars Program Celebrates Successful Completion of Summer Term with 1,050 Graduates

GSP extends its successful partnership with three Kentucky postsecondary institutions through Summer 2028

FRANKFORT, Ky. (Aug. 1, 2025) — Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear congratulated the 1,050 outstanding high school seniors from 117 counties across the commonwealth who recently completed the 43rd Kentucky Governor’s Scholars Program (GSP).

For more than four decades, the residential summer program has focused on enhancing Kentucky’s next generation of civic and economic leaders through educational and career opportunities at college campuses across the state.

Gov. Beshear, a GSP alumnus from 1995, commended the scholars on their achievements.

“The Governor’s Scholars Program helps Kentucky students build confidence, find joy and grow personally and academically,” Gov. Beshear said. “It made a tremendous difference for me as a young man and helped me follow my dreams, and I know it will do the same for these students and those to come. Building our new Kentucky home starts with our youth and I can’t wait to see the great things they accomplish in the years ahead.”

GSP is a five-week residential summer program with staggered starting dates at three Kentucky college campuses. The 2025 program at Morehead State University ran from June 14-July 18, Centre College ran from June 15-July 19, and Murray State University was June 22-July 26. Including the Class of 2025, more than 38,000 students have completed the program, which is administratively attached to the Kentucky Education and Labor Cabinet.

GSP will extend its successful partnerships with Centre College, Morehead State University and Murray State University as their host campuses for the summers of 2026-2028

The 2025 Governor’s Scholars took classes in 25 subjects areas including biological and environmental issues; the healthcare industry; journalism and mass media; music theory and performance; political and legal issues; and agribusiness and biotechnology. They also attended general studies classes to balance the scientific and humanistic fields of study, as well as a leadership seminar on themes related to their age group as they continue their path to personal and professional success.

“This summer was a full-circle experience for me, having been a Governor’s Scholar in 1992 at Murray State University,” Jennifer Price, PhD, GSP executive director and academic dean said. “I loved my time as a scholar, and it is incredibly meaningful watching this year’s scholars radiate the same enthusiasm for the program. They inspired me this summer with their class projects, collaborative engagement, and genuine enthusiasm for learning. Kentucky’s future is bright!”

To participate in the highly competitive program, a statewide selection committee chose well-rounded participants based upon nominations submitted by each Kentucky school district and home school. Selection criteria are based upon academic records and test scores; teacher and community recommendations; extracurricular and service activities; honors and awards; and a writing entry. There is no cost to students selected to participate in the program.

GSP is not a scholarship program, but many scholarship opportunities are offered by Kentucky colleges and universities to students who have completed the five-week program.

“GSP has been the most valuable learning experience of my life thus far. Not just learning through my classes but learning how to do things like manage my time, cooperate with others, and stay well rested on my own,” said 2025 Governor’s Scholar Wesley Buchanan from Atherton High School. “I was able to make lifelong connections here that I value deeply and would not have been able to make if it wasn’t for this program. I love GSP and I cannot wait for the next wave of scholars to get the same or more out of this amazing, awesome experience.”

When GSP began in 1983, Kentucky leaders wanted to encourage high-achieving Kentucky seniors to attend a Kentucky college or university to reduce the “brain drain,” as a growing number of students were choosing to go out of state to attend college. According to the most recent data, nearly 75% of 2022 scholars chose to pursue higher education in Kentucky in the fall of 2023.

Sasha Kachalova, a 2025 Governor’s Scholar from North Oldham High School, said, “GSP has taught me to be a Kentuckian: a member of a community that is intelligent, understanding, down-to-earth and scholarly. I believe that it is one of the best programs Kentucky has to offer, one that will continue to uplift Kentucky’s future leaders in the years to come.”

Isabel Bakker, a 2025 Governor’s Scholar from Beechwood High School, said, “The Kentucky Governor’s Scholars Program is more than just a few weeks in the summer—it’s a transformative experience that opens minds, builds lasting friendships, and inspires a deeper sense of purpose, reminding us that leadership begins with curiosity, compassion, and community.”

“The GSP has prepared me for life like no other program of its kind—my perspective has been greatly diversified, and I can confidently say that I will return to Kentucky in my future and use all the skills that I have developed for the betterment of communities across the commonwealth,” said 2025 Governor’s Scholar Jacob Kirchner from Boyle County High School. “Not only that, but I have formed deep relationships with my fellow scholars founded on shared intellectual interests and valuable experiences. This program has been a highlight of my life, and I know that many of my peers would say the same. I am so incredibly grateful that I was afforded this opportunity, and I cannot express that enough.”

To learn more about the Governor’s Scholars Program, visit gsp.ky.gov