Chattooga High School Sophomore, Jayla Rich, is advancing as a semi-finalist candidate in the area of physics for Georgia’s Governor’s Honors Program (GHP). This is one of Georgia’s most academically competitive programs for advanced students.
GHP is a month-long residential summer program held at a Georgia college or university for skilled, knowledgeable, and talented high school sophomores and juniors. Instruction is designed to provide students with the academic, cultural, and social enrichment necessary to become next-generation thinkers, innovators, and leaders. Tuition and housing are fully-funded by the Georgia Department of Education and the Governor’s Office of Student Achievement, and this year marks the 60th anniversary of the program.
Candidates must demonstrate a high aptitude and interest in their selected field and be nominated by a teacher. Jayla was nominated by Ms. Lisa Benson. “Jayla has enormous potential to achieve great things in the STEM field. I’m excited to see what her future holds as she pursues her celestial aspirations to the GHP and beyond,” she states. Other influential teachers in Jayla’s orbit include Mrs. Julie Lane, Mrs. Stephanie Ratliff, and Mrs. Renee Beasley. Mathematics is an intrinsic component of science and Jayla gives credit to Mrs. Beasley for being a key mentor in her early endeavor to understand the calculus and abstract algebra involved in astrophysics. When asked about Jayla, a universal theme emerges from her support team – Jayla’s unwavering commitment to producing top quality work that reflects authentic learning on a consistent basis across all subjects.
As a leader, Jayla wants to focus on science outreach, particularly for Women in STEM. Of her interest in astrophysics, Jayla writes, “I think what really appeals to me about astrophysics is the stability and beauty. I remember when my family went to Fourth of July events, they watched the fireworks while I tried to memorize the patterns of the stars in the night sky, visualizing and predicting the movement and behavior of these celestial bodies… If I’m being honest, I didn’t become interested in it until later than most…when I was 12. I remember being handed a copy of Cosmos by Carl Sagan by my great uncle and being only mildly interested at most. I figured it would be nice to read a genre other than fantasy, so I took it home. I didn’t know that this book with its worn cover and torn pages would change the course of my life so drastically.”
Jayla advances to the semifinalist event at Georgia Southern University on March 11th where she will interview with a team of field experts. She is the daughter of Kandi Rich. Her siblings are MaKenzie and Cory Hunter.
