COMMENCEMENT CEREMONY Class of 2020
Friday | May 22, 2020 7:30 p.m.
Livestream.com/SCGSAH/commencement2020
COMMENCEMENT CEREMONY PRELUDE
Wind Ensemble, 2018 David Hamilton, Conductor
Mad Major
Kenneth J. Alford (1881-1945)
PROCESSIONAL
Wind Ensemble, 2018
Pomp and Circumstance
Edward Elgar (1857-1934) arr. Claire Grundman
WELCOME
Lila Smith and Joseph Scott Student Body Co-Presidents
REMARKS FROM THE PRESIDENT
Cedric Adderley President, SCGSAH
MUSICAL INTERLUDE
Cantus Chamber Choir David Rhyne, Director
I Have Had Singing
Ron Jeffers (1943-2017)
REMARKS
Chad Prosser Chairman, Board of Directors
INTRODUCTION OF THE SENIOR SPEAKER
COMMENCEMENT ADDRESS
Nikola Heers Class of 2020, Dance
PRESENTATION OF THE CANDIDATES AND CONFERRING OF THE DIPLOMAS Rivers and Roads
Jennifer Thomas Jayce Tromsness The Head and the Heart
CONFIRMATION CLOSING REMARKS AND INSTRUCTIONS
Jennifer Thomas Dean & Vice President of Arts and Academics
Jennifer Thomas Julia Jacobsen and Kayla Moses Senior Class President and Vice President Special Guest Speaker
ALUMNI SALUTE
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CANTUS CHAMBER CHOIR Emma Brooke Alley | Lyman | James F. Byrnes High School Anier Colón-Flores | Nichols | Mullins High School Bryce Daniels | Spartanburg | Spartanburg Day School Sarah Delanuéz | Greenville | Greenville Senior High Academy Christian Dukes | Florence | Wilson High School Virginia Dunlap | Columbia | A. C. Flora High School Brigham Freyburger | Myrtle Beach | Myrtle Beach High School Jonathan Gragg | Lexington | River Bluff High School Elizabeth Hamilton | Summerville | Summerville High School Isabella Land | Sumter | Wilson Hall Kathryne Matsui | Lexington | River Bluff High School Adam Meyer | Woodruff | James F. Byrnes High School Cameron Mitchell | Spartanburg | Spartanburg High School Vaughn Nesmith II | Kingstree | Kingstree Senior High School Shon Odom | North Augusta | North Augusta High School Gayle Rhodes | Greenville | Eastside High School Raekwon Scott | Columbia | Dreher High School Amos Wise | North | North Middle/High School James Wong | Florence | Wilson High School Delaney Yurco | Hilton Head | Hilton Head Island High School
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CLASS OF 2020 Darrell Isaiah Adams
Isabella Luna Fulk
Zechariah Ray Aiken
Gabrielle Giovanna Gardner
Amelia Caroline Bailey
Frederick Lamonte Gause II
Isabella Grace Bernard
Jonathan Lewis Gragg
Elizabeth Clare Black
Ava Frances Grebe
Tymetrias Lenora Bolden
Connor Ryan Gregory
Xia Shari Bowens
Elizabeth Kate Hamilton
Lovett Michael Brooks
Nikola Eleni Heers
Christian Ahmad Brown
Audrey Meara Hunt
Christina Chanell Brown
Julia Pedroso Jacobsen
Avery Marie Carpenter
Jacklyn Elizabeth Jeffries
Abril Castillo Acosta
Preston Joon-Hyun Lee
Anier Colón-Flores
Jose Clemente Licon Lopez
Maria Elizabeth Cooper
Effie Capri Ludke
Gracen Layne Cromer
Sabrina Lee Mao
Violet Nicole Cromer
Jay Martin
Walter Steven Dagley
Matthew Logan Martin
Benay Jillian Daniel
Kathryne Shinako Matsui
Magdalyn Jane Darden
Pierceton Michael Mazell
Matthew John Davey
Xavier Alexander McKinley
Patricia Irene Davis
Phillip Adam Meyer
Jenna Alexandra Dean
Stephanie Cierra Chante Miller
Sarah Elisa Delanuéz
Kindred Grace Moore
Emma Joan Devine
Kayla Michelle Moses
Macy Claire Dunn
Chad Leo Moss
Charles Logan Durham
Olivia Diane Mozie
Makinna Ann Elkins
Vaughn Elijah Nesmith II
Gregory Julian Essex
Blaise Hannah Nettles
Bryan William Fields
Emma Ross Isabella Norrell 4
Thomas Joseph O’Malley
Beatrice Joy Swartzel-Jones
John Marshall Peace
Hunter Gage Sweatt
Hailey Pfeiffer
Magaly Mayte Taipe
Hannah Lauren Poe
Luke Sandifer Taylor
Koral Annette Runge
Mae Evelene Tromsness
Jessica Grace Schaefer
Wylder Conrad Voegele
Joseph Thomas Scott
Caroline Rebecca Walker
Raekwon Tyreke Scott
Skye Noelle Weimann
Honoka Segi
Gavin Sean Wheeler
Martha Hart Shaffer
Amos Clinton Wise IV
Victor Sergei Sherman
James Wei-Yuan Wong
Lucinda Norma Siegler
John Christopher Wright II
Lila Katherine Smith
Brendan Bailey Yarem
Isabelle Sierra Snelling
Kathryn Grace Young
Claire Faith Stephens
Delaney Suzanne Yurco
Sydney Paige Stevens
Hope RuthAnne Zinkann
Hannah Paloma Suarez
Kayleigh Elexis Zurcher
Allison Makenzie Sudlow
Academic Achievement Award Scholar National Honor Society
JUNIOR MARSHALS Natalie Hope McElhinny, Lead Marshal Sophia Rose Young, Lead Marshal
Aubrey Bell Chapman | Noah Daniel DeYoung | Camila Isabel Escobar
Dylan Sandford Fritz | Camryn Whitley Hambrick | Stevii Brooks Randall Kaela Mairi Redman | Arturo Emilio Romero | Ashley Elizabeth White 5
REFLECTIONS
from the Class of 2020
A difficult task fell to the members of the senior class, faculty, and staff who were charged with selecting a student speaker for today’s commencement. Several seniors gave speeches in which they reflected meaningfully on the distinctive qualities of this graduating class and of the Governor’s School experience. Here are some highlights from a few of the speeches that you will not hear today, but that capture some of the essence of the Class of 2020 and their remarkable finish.
By Christian Brown Think back to the fall of 2018. We didn’t realize it then, but we were all battling the same emotions of fear and excitement. I remember the very first community meeting in Sakas Theater. We were screaming and laughing because for the very first time we all felt like we were part of a community that contained people with similar goals. When I say people with similar goals, what do I really mean? I mean people who are passionate about art, learning, and most importantly growing as individuals and as artists. This structured setting aided in our artistry. However, we as Govies still found time to have fun and bend the rules, not break them. From our failed room inspections, races to avoid curfew violations, karaoke nights, games in the gym, to downtown sign outs, there is no fun like Govie fun. By Christina Brown This year was sadly cut short. At Govie, no day was ever the same. Hearing music flow across the courtyard in the afternoon, the dances that were always filled with energy, the library on the night before a project was due, hall parties, going downtown. We miss all of this so much, and we did not have the chance to bask in the glory of the end of high school. But amidst these uncertain times, we are quite fortunate to have the opportunity to be here today—virtually—because we are a part of a strong, close-knit community, and we always will be. We are the class that was born during the year that 9/11 took place, and now the worldwide COVID-19 pandemic has shown us that nothing can stop us from thriving in our art and academics as a statewide family.
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By Emma Devine I’d like to take this opportunity to introduce our class superpower: the ability to bend time. It’s really true what they say: The days are long but the weeks are short. But through the months and years at Govie we have all mastered the ability to bend time to our benefit. For example, we have the ability and the imagination to lose track of time and become completely absorbed in what we’re doing when we do what we love; whether that’s practicing, attending a reading or performance, or just being in a studio. But at the same time we also have the guts to get in the Tuesday morning omelette line at 8:26 and start a major assignment less than 24 hours before it’s due. By Julia Jacobsen Virginia Uldrick, the founder of our school, fought for over 20 years to make the Governor’s School happen. She worked tirelessly for what she believed in and she designed this school for us to do the same. I recently looked back to the essay I submitted with my application to this school. In reference to a meaningful musical experience, I wrote “the effort I applied and the enlightenment I gained ignited a musical fire inside of me that burns bright to this day” and I feel that we could all say that about our Governor’s School experience. The Governor’s School has allowed you to develop a fire, a passion for something that you have the will and the energy to devote the rest of your life to. By Allison Sudlow Here is where the commencement speaker might normally say “These have been the best years of our lives” but I disagree. These years at the Governor’s School have been wonderful, but the best years are in front of us. During our time here we have prepared ourselves to go out into the great big world and create the best years. We will all go on to pursue our own definition of great things, because we are now aware of what opportunities are out there and how to make the most of them. Through our conversations with each other and the imploring of our faculty to think of the why in situations, we have come to think for ourselves. We have learned how to make our own opportunities by investing our time, energy, and talents selectively.
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FACULTY AND STAFF Office of the President
Cedric Adderley, President Rebecca Evatt, Executive Assistant to the President LaTomya Doctor, Director of Human Resources Angela Tomlinson, Human Resources Kim Hall | Katy Beverly, Administrative Support Carol Baker, Director of Outreach Elizabeth Henderson, Coordinator of Outreach and Service Learning Christina Vandiver, Director of Public Relations David Bernardy, Public Relations Assistant Jennifer Jefferson, Graphic Designer
Office of the Dean and Vice President for Arts and Academics Jennifer Thomas, Dean and Vice President Leigh Hegmann, Administrative Support Danielle Lewis, Academic Assistance Coordinator Morgan McConnell, Registrar | Deborah Ware, Director of Guidance
ACADEMICS Rusty Godfrey | Charles Poore, Academics Department Co-Chairs Katie Byrd | Jamelle Gestwicki | Rusty Godfrey | Rose Jenkins | Uchechi Kalu Charles Poore | Emily Rossi | Mark Sibley-Jones | William Smith, Faculty Anna Katherine Freeland | Marion Grier, Adjuncts CREATIVE WRITING Scott Gould, Department Chair Mamie Morgan | Alan Rossi, Faculty DANCE Josée Garant, Department Chair Adair Kempf, Program Assistant Miriam Mesa-Pelly | Thomas Shoemaker | Irina Ushakova | Tracy Vogt, Faculty Shellie Cash | Gregory Chesney | Beth Dill | Emma Finly Alonso Miriam Mesa-Pelly | Keeley Mezzancello | Amanda Neikirk | Irina Peace Carla Quintero | Donald Shabkie | Christine Smith | Rachel Solomon Sarah Walborn | Elizabeth Wright, Adjuncts DRAMA Daniel Murray, Department Chair Candace Dickinson | David Dunford | Jayce Tromsness, Faculty Alisa Caldwell | Rhonda Murray | Bennett Weston, Adjuncts , Technical Theater 8
MUSIC Stephen Taylor, Department Chair Mechelle Luster, Program Assistant Landon Baumgard | Kathryn Dey | Thomas Dickinson David Hamilton | Kyra Zhang, Faculty Everett Beale | Ian Bracchitta | Sonja Coppenbarger | Walter Hundt Deirdre Hutton | Kristen Ironside | Gary Malvern | Robert O’Brien Jay-Martin Pinner | Alon Ratoush | David Rhyne | John Sizemore Elliott Smith | Caroline Ulrich | Petrea Warneck | Anneka Zuehlke, Adjuncts VISUAL ARTS David Gerhard, Department Chair Nicole Basinger, Administrative Support Marty Epp-Carter | Ben Gilliam | Jeffrey Martell Carlyn Tucker | Joseph Thompson | Paul Yanko, Faculty Caroline Perkins | Elaine Quave, Adjuncts LIBRARY Michael Giller, Director of Library Services Christina Fuller-Gregory, Assistant Director of Library Services Barbara Berger | Susan Douglas | Patricia Miller, Library Assistants PRODUCTION AND DESIGN Morgan Patterson, Production Manager Amber Ensley, Production Stage Manager
Office of the Vice President for Student Development
Matthew Burns, Vice President for Student Development Nikki Parton, Director of Enrollment Strategies Kevin Mihaly, Coordinator for Admissions Communications Megan Hueble | Adair Kempf | Laura Lynn King | Mandy Oglesby, Field Liaisons Anna Copeland | Jason Englisbe, Assistant Directors of Student Services Karen Davis, Health and Wellness Counselor | Suzanne Munson, School Nurse Anna King, Alumni and Summer Programs Coordinator Courtney Embler | Bethany Holden | Lori Post, Administrative Assistants Donavan Perryman, Fitness Center Jessica Alewine | Grace Burden | Tery Burt | Trayton Graham Ezreneé Major | Dana Martin | Robert McKay | Daniel Meyer Ally Schachner | Karolina Zapal, Residential Life Coordinators
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Office of the Vice President for Finance and Administration Faye Schober, Vice President of Finance and Administration Linda Raines, Finance and Procurement Specialist
INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY Richard Jones, IT Manager Patrick Breitwieser | Jeremy Meggs, Information Technology FACILITIES Keith Myers, Supervisor Delores Corner | Darrell Bradley | Roger Bryant | Vonda Dendy Jacob Kubler | Lawrence Patterson | Thomas Sullivan, Building and Grounds PUBLIC SAFETY Tammy Hubert, Director of Public Safety and Security Robert Arnold | Alva Williams, Assistant Director of Public Safety Donald Daniel | Walter Davis | Al Nater | Maria Nichols Terrance O’Neill | Daisy Sullivan, Security Officers ARAMARK DINING SERVICES Neil Robinson, Director of Dining Services Michael Nelson, Kitchen Manager Janet Gardner, Office Assistant Scott Bruce, Lead Day Cook | Thomas Onisto, Lead Night Cook Priscilla Peters, Baker Priscilla LaStrange | Tina Parker | Lorraine Rodgers Daisy Sullivan, Expo Cooks John Blakely | Mary Morris, Utility Associates
SC Governor’s School for the Arts and Humanities Foundation Rochelle Williams, Executive Director Amanda Herlihy, Director of Development Rowe Carenen, Director of Finance Christine Faust, Development Associate
Special Thanks to Electric Soul and Micah Taylor who produced the video for this program.
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GOVERNING BOARDS SC Governor’s School for the Arts and Humanities Board of Directors Chad Prosser, Chair | Irvine T. Welling III, Vice Chair Cedric Adderley, President SCGSAH Stephen Cox, Chair SCGSAH Foundation Board Sherri Burris | Richard Elliott | Maria Fabrizio | William H. Floyd III LeShown Goodwin | Bruce Halverson, President Emeritus Robert Horger | Robert E. Hughes | Harriet Jaworowski John Lane, Representing the SC Commission on Higher Education Molly Spearman, SC Superintendent of Education Anne M. Pressley, Representing the SC Superintendent of Education Ellen Weaver, Representing the Education Oversight Committee SC Governor’s School for the Arts and Humanities Foundation Board of Directors Stephen M. Cox, Chair Rochelle Williams, Foundation Executive Director Chad Prosser, Chair SCGSAH Board Cedric Adderley | Susan Allhusen | Kay Biscopink | Ben Breazeale Tracie Broom | Robert D. Carpenter | William P. Crawford, Jr. Gerald L. Davis, Jr. | Ruth Edwards | Terry Grayson-Caprio | Jimmy Gulledge Linda Hannon | Courtney Tollison Hartness | Nancy Hilliard Joyce Bob Nachman | Kevin Short | Brittany Timmons
MISSION STATEMENTS South Carolina Governor’s School for the Arts and Humanities The mission of the South Carolina Governor’s School for the Arts and Humanities is to serve artistically gifted high school students of South Carolina through programs of pre-professional instruction in an environment of artistic and academic excellence. The school is a resource for all teachers and students in South Carolina. South Carolina Governor’s School for the Arts and Humanities Foundation The Governor’s School for the Arts Foundation serves South Carolina’s artistically talented students by increasing awareness and raising revenues to ensure excellence in our nation’s premier public residential high school for the arts.
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15 University Street, Greenville, SC 29601 | p 864.282.3777 | SCGSAH.org