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Cassidy Ball, a senior at Stanly Early College, attended the Governor’s School of North Carolina this summer.

Chosen as one of 1,700 applicants, Ball focused on English while attending the five-week program.

While there, students studied traditional school disciplines or the arts. In addition to English she took a course on philosophy and epistemology and another class honed in on morality and ethics.

“Governor’s School allowed me to learn about one of my strongest areas of achievement, English,” Ball said. “I was able to look at pieces of literature and discover what aspects of those pieces I thought exemplified what the author was trying to showcase. I ended up writing a memoir of 16,000 words and 46 pages about what I have been through in my 17 years of life.”

At Governor’s School she was encouraged to speak her mind instead of equivocating on her opinions.

“I learned what it is to be a leader, someone who can speak her mind but also show others that I care about them and what they have to say,” Ball said. “We were daily faced with the opportunity to encourage those around us, and Governor’s School gave me the chance to do just that. To disagree with my peers but make friends in the process.

“I would say one of the most important lessons I learned at Governor’s School is that you can always learn something from everyone,” Ball added. “No matter the person, their age, their personality, the fact remains: they have something they can teach you.”

Ashlee Miller, a Stanly Early College student, reports on life at the Early College for The SNAP.