This morning parents, grandparents, siblings, and a few brave friends came to help the GSA students move all of their belongings out of their dorm room homes. After brunch and checkout it was time to cross the street for the Final Day Performances to begin. Students introduced their new friends to their parents, and traveled around to see each other perform.

 When they are accepted to the program students are asked to identify a person who has helped them in their art form, and today these mentors arrived to support the students they love and know so well.

After the performances came to an end and every gallery had been visited, Haggin Auditorium began to fill up for the Graduation Ceremony. The students were met with applause as the filled in their rows, and the familiar faces that greeted them three weeks ago once again took the stage, but this time they congratulated the students as graduates.

 This year’s Alumni Award recipient was GSA’s very own Vocal Music faculty member, Dr. Angelique Clay. Dr. Clay had already proven her public speaking prowess during her performance for Personal Geography weeks before, but today the student’s parents also got to hear her inspiring message. Dr. Clay urged the students to follow their dreams, and implored parents to support their children always, and to never stand in the way of their children’s dreams no matter how strange they might seem. After moving the audience with her speech, Dr. Clay brought many to tears as she sang “Climb Every Mountain”.

Although the three week program has come to an end, the friendships and the education gained from GSA will live on in each of the 241 students of this year’s class. Throughout the program the students have seen faculty members, administration, guest artists, RAs, DAs, and Interns who have graduated from the Kentucky Governor’s School for the Arts and returned to support this program in many different ways. For the talented students selected to attend GSA, this community of artists will be available to them for the rest of their lives.

For the last time, this is GSA ’08 Intern Laura Lamping Greenwell signing off.