Ms. Bennett Returns to Governor’s School
High school English teacher Olivia Bennett shared a reflection on a special summer experience.
This summer, I had the opportunity to work as a Fellow for North Carolina’s Governor’s School, a 4-week residential learning program for rising sophomores and juniors across the state. Having gone to Governor’s School myself, it was rewarding to be on the other side of things as a staff member. I attended Governor’s School in 2018 in the area of Visual Art – this year, as a Fellow for Area 2 (Applied Philosophy) and Area 3 (Self and Society), I was able to see more of Governor’s School. Being in Areas 2 and 3, I interacted with almost all of the students (nearly 400); the other Area 1 Fellows are in discipline-specific classes, and usually just interact with the students in their particular discipline. There’s only one of me, and six Area 2 faculty members (the amazing Carl Peay, Neil Oatsvall, Amber King-Farthing, Luke LeGrand, Brian McDonald, and Nan Pincus), so I was not able to attend every section, but I rotated throughout the classes during the week.
Back row: Luke LeGrand, Carl Peay, Amber King-Farthing, Neil Oatsvall Front row: Nan Pincus, Brian McDonald, Olivia Bennett
A typical day at Governor’s School is four class periods, Monday through Saturday: Area 1, two sections of Area 2 or 3, depending on the individual student’s schedule, and then a fourth period of Area 1. After class, students are free to pursue elective seminars on a wide range of topics. Faculty and staff are encouraged to host their own seminars, and they don’t necessarily have to align with the curriculum. Fellows are typically assigned to various duties in the evening, so we are not always free to attend these events, but one particularly interesting seminar I was able to attend was about autopsy procedures. I even hosted my own seminar, which was a deep dive into the history of vampire lore, along with a cultural analysis of various literary and film examples of the monster.
During the GSE Session, we also had required Convocation events, two of which included guest speakers. This year’s speakers were Dr. Vanessa Woods with the Duke Puppy Kindergarten, who spoke on dog cognition, and Sherrill Roland, a local artist who was wrongfully incarcerated and now uses his experience to inform his pieces. Both guest speakers were absolutely incredible, and the students gained a lot from both of them. Roland’s convocation was particularly interesting for me, as a former Visual Art student at Governor’s School, yet also as an Area 2 Fellow: many of the sections of Area 2 I sat in brought Roland’s art into their lesson planning when teaching the Philosophy of Aesthetics.
My experience at Governor’s School as a Fellow was unlike anything I’ve ever done before. Though I was still involved in a variety of academic endeavors, the residential aspect of the Fellows’ job was new to me, and came with countless challenges. From moving around 50 students into my hall on the first student day, to navigating a broken AC system in 100-degree weather, I had to learn quickly how to adapt. The resilience I saw in the students, the other Fellows, and myself was incredibly rewarding. With those challenges, though, came plenty of other exciting opportunities. There was a Staff v. Student Volleyball game, a trip to the Natural Science Museum, and even Karaoke as a form of hall-bonding. Every day at Governor’s School was filled with countless opportunities to pursue what brings you joy.
Overall, this summer at GSE would not have been the same without the incredible faculty and staff there to support one another. At its core, Governor’s School is a community of learners who are passionate about what they do and how they can continue to grow. I am grateful for this opportunity, as it has reignited my passion for learning and educating.
Fellows Pictured: Olivia Bennett (Area 2/Area 3), Evan Byers (Choral Music), Nicholas Klein (English), Michael Farrell (Social Science), Izel Bernal (Spanish)
Photographer: Emilee Batchelor (Dance Fellow)