Well.

Kentucky's Governors Scholars Program has been a summer tradition for more than 40 years.

The program allows rising high school seniors who have excelled in and out of the classroom, to spend five weeks on a college campus.

This year, the program has a new executive director, but she's no stranger to the organization.

Our Emily just took a trip to Center College to sit down with the new leader.

It is both wonderful and nerve wracking.

Doctor Jennifer Price is the new executive director of the Governor's Scholars Program, often abbreviated as GSP.

The program takes rising high school seniors who are high achievers and disperses them across the state for five weeks, where they take classes, interact with one another, and get a taste of what college life might be like.

They're learning from people from somewhere completely different in the state of Kentucky.

The program began in 1983 when state leaders noticed a trend.

Gifted high schoolers were leaving Kentucky after graduation.

The program began only on one campus and started with 230 scholars.

Today, GSP takes place across three college campuses and accepts 1050 students.

This is Price's first full summer as executive Director, and while she's new to the role, she's no stranger to the program.

I was a scholar in 1992 at GSP Murray State.

It was a summer of firsts for Pryce, who is a Hopkins County native.

It was really the first time I'd been away from home that long.

First time that I had been around.

Kids my age who were interested in learning just as much as I was.

A hallmark of the Governor Scholars program is these scholarship opportunities at colleges in Kentucky.

Many offer full tuition rewards for participants.

I had originally thought that I might go out of state for school, and actually, GSP is one of the things that kind of kept me looking in-state, as we often hear.

Price attended Transylvania University, but she kept returning to GSP, working as a resident assistant during her summers.

She was even an RA when Governor Andy Beshear was a scholar in 1995.

I just kept coming back after time away, price came back to the program and worked in a multitude of roles.

She worked closely with then executive director Aris Sandino before he retired after more than 30 years with GSP.

I just always felt like when I wasn't working at GSP, something was missing.

This year, GSP was located at Center College, Murray State and Morehead State University.

The job entails a lot of driving across the state to visit the campuses, price said.

For the scholars, it's all part of a common goal to make them better leaders.

Our mission is to enhance Kentucky's next generation of civic and economic leaders.

It really gives us an opportunity to, expose, students to different parts of Kentucky.

And that's been the case for one Louisville scholar.

Since I'm from Louisville, I don't really know a lot of people outside of, Jefferson County.

And seeing all these different counties really made me more open minded.

Another scholar from Muhlenberg County said she's now got friends all across the Commonwealth.

When I first got here, I was a bit nervous because it's like you're coming here and you don't know practically anyone.

I knew, like two kids.

Now, I know that all have friends, like all over Kentucky and like some even in Tennessee or Virginia, because I ride over there on the border.

I had several nervous ones on each opening day, and I would say, where else in the world do you have a whole team of people whose entire job is to help you have a good experience?

Price said it was her experience that kept her coming back to GSP, but she never envisioned.

And the executive director role does feel very full circle for me.

Starting as a scholar and now being in this position, another full circle moment.

Price's son was a scholar in 2021 and decided to attend a center college after his experience.

The executive director said it's her mission to ensure GSP continues at its current capacity and remains completely free of charge for Kentucky Edition.

I'm Emily Sisk.

What an amazing program.

Well, fun fact the first executive director of the Governor's Scholars Program was Little Press.

The husband of Katie's, the husband of Katie's founder was the wife.

Sorry.

That's the wife of Katie's founder, Leonard Press.