Arkansas Governor’s School concluded its 45th session with a closing ceremony at Arkansas Tech University’s John E. Tucker Coliseum on Saturday, Aug. 3.
Approximately 380 rising high school seniors from Arkansas completed the four-week program on the ATU campus in Russellville.
“To me, AGS means building connections with other people that you normally wouldn’t meet,” said Devyn Prins, a rising senior at Mountain Home High School Career Academies. “I’ve met a lot of people from different backgrounds than me. I’ve enjoyed making new friends and learning more in the natural sciences area. I loved getting an insight into that and thinking more deeply on more topics than I would in general.”
Arkansas Governor’s School serves selected students from around the state during the summer before their senior year in high school. The Arkansas Department of Education Gifted and Talented Programs administrator supervises Arkansas Governor’s School with assistance from an advisory council appointed by the governor.
“I feel like I am a better friend as a result of meeting new people,” said Prins. “I really love it. I think that has helped me learn how to better interact with people and become a more independent adult as I am navigating college. I’ve learned to take breaks, relax and take my time with things. You have a community here that can always help you when you need it.”
This marked the sixth consecutive year that Arkansas Tech has hosted Arkansas Governor’s School. Dr. Peter Dykema and Dr. Jacob Grosskopf, ATU faculty members, serve as AGS co-directors.
One of the distinctive features of Arkansas Governor’s School is there are no grades.
“I’ve made a lot of good friends, especially my roommates,” said Ryan Cromer, a rising senior at North Little Rock High School. “I’ve loved hanging out with them. I’ve met tons of people and they’ve all been really nice. I’m more confident in my ability to go out and talk to people without knowing them as well as speaking up in class. I feel like Governor’s School has impacted me in that way. I feel like I’ve learned more because I haven’t had to worry about the stress of grades. I can learn because I actually enjoy the material, not because I need to make a certain grade.”
The daily class schedule at AGS is based, in part, upon students’ demonstrated aptitude in one of nine areas of specialization: choral music, development engineering, instrumental music, drama, English/language arts, mathematics, natural science, social science or visual arts.
Those nine disciplines constitute what is defined as AGS Area I. AGS Area II is a study of the nature of knowledge, while AGS Area III is focused on the personal and social development of students.
The three aspects of the AGS curriculum were imparted to the students in 2024 by a faculty that included individuals who teach at 17 different universities and K-12 school districts.
“These four weeks have been about making new friendships, gaining new knowledge that I wouldn’t get at high school and preparing me for college,” said Wyatt Teague, a rising senior at Van Buren High School. “When I started AGS, I feel like I was less mature. By making new friends and seeing how other people act, it helps me become a better person. Being on my own made me feel like I have freedom and it shows me that I can figure out who I want to be.”
Arkansas residents in the high school graduating class of 2026 interested in applying for admission to the 46th Arkansas Governor’s School during summer 2025 may learn more at www.atu.edu/ags.
“I’ve grown up understanding that education is a privilege,” said Sofia Aguilar, a rising senior at Rogers New Technology High School. “Being here has been a privilege and such an incredible experience of making connections with people all across the state. They have a class in Area II all about conceptual thinking. From being in that class, I’ve learned about taking in different points of view. As a STEM student, I’ve always thought there’s one right answer. I’ve come to understand how to handle different points of view I never would have thought of. It’s made me understand that it’s okay to disagree. I like the environment we have here at AGS. We hype each other up here.”
