Governor scholars Lyndy Hill and Kristen Troyer thought they had nothing in common, so the idea of rooming together for 5 weeks seemed daunting.
Hill was born in Kansas and moved to Kentucky when she was 8, after her parents divorced. She was from a large blended family with a younger brother, 5 step brothers, a step sister, and 3 half-brothers.
Troyer, unlike Hill, moved around quite frequently as she was growing up. She was born in Colorado, moved to London, then to the Netherlands, then to Cincinnati, and now she resides in Villahills, Ky. She has two half-brothers and two-half sisters.
“I thought she was going to be one of those people that always had to be moving,” Hill said of Troyer.
Troyer thought her new roommate was quiet, tidy, but quiet.
Pre-assigned roommates is the norm with the Governor’s Scholars Program, established in 1983 as an academic-oriented summer camp that pushes students to learn problem-solving skills, be around other gifted teens from around Kentucky and push their creativity.
The program provides growth to upcoming seniors in hope of enhancing Kentucky’s future leaders. This year, there are 343 scholars staying at the Bellarmine University Campus in Louisville, Kentucky. During the 5 weeks, the scholars take classes and have special activities they can participate in. The classes, such as Architectural Design, Healthcare Industry and Journalism and Mass Media provide a glimpse at choices for that career path. Special Activities, such as Afternoon with the Arts, allows the scholars to express themselves creatively.
Students also go on many field trips, participate in the GSP talent show (Showcase) and see classic films they may have not been exposed to like Casablanca and To Kill a Mockingbird.
As the two roommates got to know each other better, the idea of a foreign room partner disappeared. The atmosphere in the room changed from awkward silence to an one filled with laughter and happiness; Troyer and Hill sit on their beds and joke often. Their room isn’t in the traditional arrangement like a majority of the dorms. Their beds, instead, are connected in an “L” shape and the separate items once divided in each girls’ belongings are now intermingled.
“We have not said a mean word to each other,” Troyer said. Hill jokingly responds with the comment, “When 5 weeks is over, I’m never talking to her again. I might not after this.” The bond between these two girls is evident and is one they hope is life-long.
“I can see us keeping in touch, but I don’t see us making each other godparent of our firstborns,” jokes Hill. “I always have the worst roommates,” Hill continues. “I know this might sou
nd silly but I was so scared I’d have a sucky roommate.”This fear is a common occurrence among scholars who attend the summer program. But GSP faculty and staff support this arrangement. Diversity is the basis of how roommates are chosen. Those given the task to assign roommates purposely ensure diversity from schools, location and ethnic background.
As Executive Director of Governor’s Scholar Program, Aris Cedeño, is commited to the scholar experience, and that includes making the scholars uncomfortable. He wants force them to consider new ideas and ways of thinking, plus the GSP mission also includes prepping them for what college will hold for them a year from now.
Only one time in Governor’s Scholar history, he recalls, has there been a time when roommates had to be separated. The faculty understands there will be some conflict between two diverse people in tight quarters for 5 weeks, but as Cedeño puts it, “Civilized people work the problems out.”