FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 7, 2005
Contact: Joshua Hollis
(662) 329-7119

Mississippi Governor’s School celebrates 25 years
 
COLUMBUS, Miss. – The Mississippi Governor’s School, held each year on the campus of Mississippi University for Women, will begin its silver anniversary session on June 12. This year’s theme is “Our Future: Defining the Dimensions – Delineating Our Role.”
   
Bob Seney, who has served as director of the Mississippi Governor’s School since 1998 but worked with the program since 1993, said, “We’re really excited [about reaching the 25th year]. We’re among the five or six oldest Governor’s Schools in the nation … We’ve served over 3,500 students in this program.”
   
Alumni of the Governor’s School are invited to attend the Opening Convocation to be held at 3 p.m. on June 12 at Whitfield Hall in Rent Auditorium. During this time, each class from the past 25 years will be recognized. Former scholars are also invited to attend this year’s scholars in the Pope Banquet Room for dinner.
   
Students selected to attend the Mississippi Governor’s School must excel in academics, leadership qualities and community service. This year, 124 juniors and seniors from across the state met those criteria and were selected as the 2005 scholars.
   
The Mississippi Governor’s School is a three-week summer residential honors program established in 1981 by Gov. William F. Winter and administrators at MUW. The school is designed to provide academic, creative and leadership experiences for a limited number of rising high school juniors and seniors who have demonstrated exceptional ability and achievement in their studies and who show high intellectual, creative and leadership potential.
   
Seney said, “Here, [students are] free to follow academic interests” in an environment where they’re both intellectually and emotionally safe. “I love this program. It reenergizes me. It’s stressful [but] it’s worth every bit to give these kids this experience.”  
   
Dr. Suzanne Bean, director of graduate studies and the Roger F. Wicker Center for Creative Learning, served as director of the Mississippi Governor’s School from 1990-1996. “It is my hope that all Governor School participants (past and present) gain a better understanding of the world and their place in it and that they discover or rediscover a passion for learning.”
   
She said she hopes everything learned in Governor’s School will “help participants to ultimately make positive contributions to their state and to the world.”
   
Former Governor’s School alumni and scholars interested in attending are asked to contact the Governor’s School via email at govschool@muw.edu or by mail at 1100 College St. MUW-129, Columbus, MS 39701-5800.