Sixty-six students – a record number for the district – have been selected to represent the Hall County School District (HCSD) as district nominees for the Georgia Governor’s Honors Program (GHP). That’s a residential summer program for gifted, skilled, knowledgeable, and talented high school sophomores and juniors.
HCSD NEWS RELEASE:
“GHP offers instruction that is significantly different from the typical high school classroom and is designed to provide students with academic, cultural, and social enrichment necessary to become the next generation of global critical thinkers, innovators, and leaders. GHP is held in mid-summer (mid-June to mid-July) as a residential
educational experience on a college or university campus.
Students attend classes in the mornings and
afternoons in specific areas of study, and they participate in a wide variety of social and instructional
opportunities every evening. Meals and rooms are provided by the program. The only required
and expected costs to the students are: travel expenses to and from the semifinalist event and host
campus; a few basic supplies for classes and dorm rooms; and spending money as desired during the
program (https://gosa.georgia.gov/governors-honors-program).
Managed by the Governor’s Office for Student Achievement, the plan for this summer is to hold GHP at
Georgia Southern University. The 2026 program will be the 63rd summer, making it the longest continually
running program of its kind in the nation. GHP will notify students on February 6, 2026, if they move on to
the semifinalist/interview phase of the GHP application process.
Hall County School District’s Nominees for the 2026 Georgia Governor’s Honors Program
First Name Last Name High School Nomination Area Concentration
(If applicable)
Daniela Aguilar Johnson High School Communicative Arts
McKenna Brown Johnson High School Communicative Arts
Jonathan Dao Johnson High School Communicative Arts
Arielle Jackson Johnson High School Communicative Arts
Morgan Latty Johnson High School Communicative Arts
Aoife Roberts Flowery Branch High School Communicative Arts
Lila Spivey Johnson High School Communicative Arts
Karan Kannan Flowery Branch High School Computer Science
Jason Lin Cherokee Bluff High School Computer Science
Paul Adams Flowery Branch High School Dance
Connor Green Cherokee Bluff High School Dance
Kimberly Friend Flowery Branch High School Engineering Electrical & Computational
Spencer Perry North Hall High School Engineering Mechanical & Aerospace
Ivan Saunders Flowery Branch High School Engineering Mechanical & Electrical
Jackson Brammer Flowery Branch High School Mathematics
Cole Brown Flowery Branch High School Mathematics
Shawn Johnson Johnson High School Mathematics
Jaia Parker Flowery Branch High School Mathematics
Nestor Raygoza Flowery Branch High School Mathematics
Kevin Trainor Flowery Branch High School Mathematics
Lily Barrere Cherokee Bluff High School Music Voice: Alto
Darren Carwile North Hall High School Music Jazz: Saxophone
Ella Chewning Cherokee Bluff High School Music Voice: Soprano
Lyla Croft Flowery Branch High School Music Brass: Trumpet
Amelia Farr Chestatee High School Music Voice: Alto
Sydney Green Chestatee High School Music Voice: Soprano
Emma Hamby Flowery Branch High School Music Voice: Soprano
Rylie Hopper Chestatee High School Music Voice: Alto
Allyson Mejia Flowery Branch High School Music Woodwind: Clarinet
Nathaniel Simela Flowery Branch High School Music Jazz: Saxophone
Ava Snurkowski Cherokee Bluff High School Music Voice: Soprano
Madison Snurkowski Cherokee Bluff High School Music Voice: Soprano
Emory Whittenburg Flowery Branch High School Music Brass: Trombone
Reina Agborsangaya Johnson High School Science Biology/Env. Science
William Boyd North Hall High School Science Biology/Env. Science
Sterling Clendenning East Hall High School Science Biology/Env. Science
Allison Forman North Hall High School Science Biology/Env. Science
Elizabeth Newberry East Hall High School Science Biology/Env. Science
Cadence Coffee Flowery Branch High School Social Studies
Keily Gonzalez Johnson High School Social Studies
Mikayla Haynes Johnson High School Social Studies
Mia Jackson West Hall High School Social Studies
Madison Martin Johnson High School Social Studies
Conner Nelson Cherokee Bluff High School Social Studies
Riley Seau, Jr. Chestatee High School Social Studies
Paul Spence West Hall High School Social Studies
Steven Vargas-Nieto Johnson High School Social Studies
Alexandrea Walker Johnson High School Social Studies
James Wood North Hall High School Social Studies
Andrea Gheti West Hall High School Theatre
Iker Garvalena West Hall High School Theatre
Serena Ammons West Hall High School Visual Arts
Sophia Barrera West Hall High School Visual Arts
Isabela Bridgett Johnson High School Visual Arts
Jemma “Ricky” Brooks West Hall High School Visual Arts
Fernanda Contreras De Lira Flowery Branch High School Visual Arts
Xavier Dobey West Hall High School Visual Arts
Lexi Echols West Hall High School Visual Arts
Abrianna Gaiti West Hall High School Visual Arts
Ana Bauza-Brito West Hall High School World Languages Spanish
Joseph Bullard Flowery Branch High School World Languages Spanish
Lucy Elias Flowery Branch High School World Languages Spanish
Hernan Flores Flowery Branch High School World Languages French
Lannaliz Machado West Hall High School World Languages Spanish
Camila Salazar West Hall High School World Languages Spanish
Julett Sanchez-Medina Flowery Branch High School World Languages Spanish”