Kudos to the 2008 Governor's Academy!

Thanks to my pal Mark who sent along the list of the Governor's Academy Class of 2008! As I've mentioned before, it's a terrific program that provides an invaluable experience to some of the state's most talented high school students. Congratulations to all these young people for being chosen! Here's the rundown (local students are in Bold Letters):

CREATIVE WRITING

Timothy Ryan (Mineral), Juliana Warner (Tucker), Amber Murphy (Raleigh), Bethany Dzielski (Harrison), Martin Lockman (Pocahontas), Rebecca Antley (Ohio), Jasmine Lewis (Wayne), David Byler (Wood), Sarah Abbot (Kanawha), Kayla Donnell (Fayette), Hayley Baxter (Pleasants) and Farah Famouri (Monongalia).

DANCE

Chelsea McGinnis (Raleigh), Kimberly Savarino (Monongalia), Kristen Belesky (Raleigh), MacKenzie Wardwell (Raleigh), Mary Kinkelaar (Harrison), Lindsay Scott (Kanawha), Sarah Hayes (Cabell), Cassie Worley (Raleigh), Lauren Dittebrand (Kanawha), Jordann Chesler (Harrison), Maura Fowler (Berkeley), Olivia Kinney (Harrison), Audrey Wright (Kanawha) and Elisabeth Offenberger (Wood).

INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC

Alexandra Atkinson (Kanawha), Merissa Dean (Berkeley), Bayan Misaghi (Kanawha), Eli Chambers (Putnam), Matthew Pitts (Raleigh), Rebecca McClure (Ohio), Brittany Chipps (Monongalia), Annick Odom (Monongalia), Brittany Bailey (Wyoming), Jarrett Hoffman (Monongalia), Taylor Giorgio (Kanawha), Jacob Sandridge (Barbour), Amna Khan (Raleigh), Andrew Bonasso (Marion), Allison Prescott (Monongalia), Sarah McKibben (Harrison) and Molly Thomas (Harrison).

DIGITAL MEDIA ART

Nathan Ward (Mingo), Krista Campione (Monongalia), Alexandra Neddo (Kanawha), Merideth Dushkoff (Wood), Nathan Mickinac (Hancock), Ryan Dormagen (Jackson), Christine Keplinger (Tyler) and Kellsi Dye (Wood).

THEATRE

Emily Kuhn (Mason), Natalie Spanner (Wood), Adam Rhodes (Preston), Anita Santilli (Ohio), Caitlyn Motes (Logan), Catherine Smith (Hardy), Julia Buhagiar (Berkeley), Hannah Stein (Hardy), Genevieve Yosco (Monongalia), Olivia Legg (Raleigh), Sharif Youssef (Ohio), Trenton Derryberry (Morgan) and Devon Cottle (Ohio).

VISUAL ART

Elisha Rush (Taylor), Sophia Kayfas (Ohio), Roman Butler (Ohio), Lisa Liang (Monongalia), Leah Ellyson (Lincoln), Shelby Hall (Roane), Joshua Carte (Fayette), Sarah Wilson (Cabell), Spencer Kinnard (Tyler), Courtney Conaway (Wetzel), Samuel Boehm (Berkeley), Johnna Manns (Jackson), Angela Titus (Tyler), Laura Gould (Kanawha), Corrine Martin (Morgan), Elizabeth Dohony (Mineral) and Chelsea Workman (Harrison).

VOCAL MUSIC

Cassandra Hackbart (Preston), Brandon Humphreys (Jackson), Kathryn Pettit (Cabell), Seth Stemple (Marion), Matthew Lilly (Mercer), Erin O’Neil (Kanawha), Graham Parks (Marion), Eric Newfeld (Cabell), Megan Hansberry (Harrison), Sarah Pauley (Kanawha), Brooke McCormick (Berkeley), Alyssa McKitrick (Ohio), Merica Crowley (Harrison), Madison Bowles (Raleigh), Riley Bonar (Ohio), Jessica Adkins (Nicholas), Janie Sinnett (Jackson) and Tyler Shaffer (Tucker).