Governor's School 2020

2021
A Summer Program for Gifted and STUDENT APPLICATION
STUDENT APPLICATION – PAGE 1 OF 6
Talented High School Students

BASIC INFORMATION & NOMINATION DISCIPLINE COMPLETE ELECTRONICALLY, NOT HANDWRITTEN

*REQUIRED INFORMATION
INSTRUCTIONS
PowerSchool ID#
1. SAVE this application on your computer, then open the saved version in a pdf program. Do not try to complete itNOMINATION DISCIPLINE
within a web browser, as your data might not save.
*Name:
2. STUDENT INFORMATION. FIRST Complete all fields
MIDDLEbelow. If your school/school LAST
INITIAL system elects to nominate you to the State level, the Office of the North Carolina
Governor's School will ask contact you for additional information. SAVE YOUR FILE!

3. *Preferred
ESSAYS (pages
First2-4).
Name:Read the instructions on page 2 and enter your essays on pages*Date
3 and of
4. Be sure to use the correct Essay #2 prompt. SAVE YOUR FILE!
Birth:
4. PERSONAL READINESS (pages 5-6). Shine! Quality of activities and awards is more important than quantity; note your leadership, dedication, etc. Tell why some
of *Gender:
these are meaningful to you, and*Race/Ethnicity:
how you are ready for Governor's School. SAVE YOUR FILE! *Best Telephone Number: ( ) -
5. SUBMIT this application electronically to the appropriate local school personnel. DO NOT send it directly to the State. Your school/school system will add the official
*Best Email
transcript Address:
and other components to create your nomination if they decide to advance it for State-level consideration.

6. RECOMMENDATIONS (2). Ask two people (at least one of whom is or has been one of your high school teachers) to each submit an official recommendation.
*Mailing
Direct them toAddress:
the official Recommendation Form on the Governor's School website. They must complete their form electronically and send it directly to the appropriate
local school personnel, not to you and not to the State. STREET OR BOX # CITY ZIP CODE

*Name of Parent/Guardian:

*Currently Enrolled Grade:

STUDENT INFORMATION COMPLETE
10TH GRADE: ELIGIBLE ONLY FOR CHORAL MUSIC, INSTRUMENTAL ELECTRONICALLY,
MUSIC NOT HANDWRITTEN
AND DANCE; 11TH GRADE: ELIGIBLE FOR ALL DISCIPLINES

PowerSchool ID# (if none, type N/A): NOMINATION DISCIPLINE

*HIGH SCHOOL CURRENTLY ATTENDING
Name: Emma C Hedinger CHORAL MUSIC - SOPRANO 1
FIRST
Public School Unit: MIDDLE INITIAL LAST

School First
Preferred of Public School Emma
NameName: Unit: Date of Birth (MM/DD/YYYY): 11/28/2003 Gender: Female

- or -
Hispanic/Latino? No Race/Ethnicity American Indian or Alaska Native Black or African-American
Non-Public School Name: (check all that apply): Asian White
Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander

Have
HIGH you ever
SCHOOL attended aATTENDING
CURRENTLY North Carolina public school?
NOTE: If yes, please provide your PowerSchool ID# above .
Public School System/Unit: choose one
Public School Name:
STATEMENT
- or - OF INTENT
Non-Public School
My signature Name: allowed) indicates my wish to be considered Providence
(electronic
Day School
as a Governor’s School nominee . I understand that I will be
identified as a Governor’s School nominee only if determined by the local nominating committee . Also, if I am selected by the State,
Currently Enrolled Grade: No
and accept, I will attend the11thentireGrade
Have you ever attended a
five and one-half week program. Finally, I understand that public
North Carolina no exceptions
school? will be made for family
NOTE: 11TH
reunions,
10TH GRADE: ELIGIBLE ONLY FOR CHORAL MUSIC, INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC OR DANCE
sports activities,
GRADE: concerts,
ELIGIBLE FOR camps, online classes and the like . NOTE: If yes, please provide your PowerSchool ID# above .
ANY DISCIPLINE

*SIGNATURE OF STUDENT (ELECTRONIC ALLOWED) DATE

*SIGNATURE OF PARENT/GUARDIAN (ELECTRONIC ALLOWED) DATE

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 Governor's School 2021
2020
A Summer Program for Gifted and STUDENT APPLICATION – PAGE 2 OF 6
Talented High School Students

ESSAY #1 COMPLETE ELECTRONICALLY, NOT HANDWRITTEN

INSTRUCTIONS:
INSTRUCTIONS:
•• Use
Useaaseparate
separateword
wordprocessor
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prompt. Use size 10 point of a standard font (e.g., Times New Roman, Helvetica, etc.).
The entire essay (i.e., title, body, citations, etc.) must be no more than 3,500 characters, around 500-550 words.
•• Use size 10 point of a standard font (e .g ., Times New Roman, Helvetica, etc .) .
Formal references and endnotes are not necessary, but cite authors of works, ideas, etc., that are not your won.
•• The
Copyentire essay the
and paste (i .e .,entire
title, body,
essayetc .)
into must be no#1
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ensuring around
the entire 500-550
essay words .
is visible. Do not include pictures,
charts or any other graphics. This text box might not allow for additional formatting.
• Copy and paste the entire essay into the Essay #1 text box, ensuring the entire essay is visible . Do not include pictures,
charts or any other graphics . This text box does not allow for additional formatting .
PROMPT: Identify and discuss one or more of the most pressing questions you have about how the world works.
Howand
PROMPT: Identify arediscuss
you planning to pursue
one or more answers?
of the most pressing questions you have about how the world works . How are you
planning to pursue answers?

ESSAY #2 COMPLETE ELECTRONICALLY, NOT HANDWRITTEN

INSTRUCTIONS:
INSTRUCTIONS:
• Use
Makethe drop-down
sure box onbox
the drop-down pageon4 page
to identify
4 hasyour
yournomination discipline . discipline.
identified nomination

• Find
Find your
your discipline’s
discipline’s essay
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andtype
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boxon
onpage
page4 .4.

• Use a separate
separate word
word processor
processor (e .g .,
(e.g.,Microsoft
Microsoft Word, Apple
Apple Pages,
Pages,etc .)
etc.)to
towrite
writeand
andformat
formatyour
youressay
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prompt.

• Use size
size 10
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pointofofaastandard
standardfont
font(e .g .,
(e.g.,Times New
Times Roman,
New Helvetica,
Roman, etc .) .
Helvetica, etc.).

• The entire
entire essay
essay (i .e .,
(i.e.,title,
title,body,
body,etc .)
etc.)must
mustbe
benonomore
morethan
than3,500 characters,
3,500 around
characters, 500-550
around words .
500-550 words.

• Copy
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and paste
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include pictures,
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PROMPTS: InInthis
PROMPTS: thisessay, local and
essay, local andstate
stateselection
selectioncommittee
committeemembers
members hope
hope to gain
to gain a clearer
a clearer insight
insight intointo
youryour interest
interest in theinArea
the Area
I I
field
field of
of nomination .
nomination.
English:Describe
• English: Describeaavision
visionofofthe
theworld
worldasaspresented
presentedininaa20th
20thoror21st century
21st century literary work
literary workthat
thatisis
fundamentally different
fundamentally different
from your own .
own. What
What have
have you
you learned
learned from
fromseeing
seeingthrough
throughthisthisparticular
particular lens?
lens?How Howhas
hasthis
thisimpacted
impactedyour
yourown
own
perception or understanding of the world?
• French: Discussaapressing
French: Discuss pressingsocial
socialissue
issueinina aFrench-speaking
French-speaking country
country and
and compare
compare it to
it to how
how that
that issue
issue is is being
being
addressed or ignored in the
the United
United States .
States.Please
Pleaserespond
respondininFrench .
French.

• Mathematics: Modernmathematics
Mathematics:Modern mathematicsisisdriven
driven
notnot
byby a reliance
a reliance on the
on the concepts
concepts of numbers
of numbers and data,
and data, but bybut
theby thetoneed
need ask to ask
good questions .
questions.With
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thisinin
mind, describe
mind, what
describe it means
what it meansto be
to‘good at math .
be ‘good ’ Are you
at math.’ Aregood
you at math?
good SupportSupport
at math? your answers
your answers
with examples
examplesthat
thatbriefly
brieflydescribe
describehow
howyou dodo
you mathmathandand
youryour
enjoyment in it . in it.
enjoyment

Science:Discuss
• Natural Science: Discussaacurrent
current scientific
scientific concept or idea that is still considered emerging or experimental .
experimental. IfIf
evidence were to overwhelmingly
overwhelmingly support this new
new concept
concept or
or idea,
idea, how
how might it affect
affect the
the scientific
scientificdiscipline,
discipline,and
and
society as a whole?
• Social Identifyaacause
Science:Identify
Social Science: causerelevant
relevanttotosocial
socialscience
scienceand
andexplain
explainits
itsimportance
importancetotoyou .
you.Either
Eitherdescribe
describewhat
whatyou
you
have done locally,
locally, nationally,
nationally, or
or globally
globallyto
tosupport
supportthe
thecause,
cause,OR
ORdescribe
describethe theobstacles
obstaclesthat
thathave
haveprevented
preventedyou
youfrom
from
taking action .
action.

Spanish: Discuss
• Spanish: Discussaapressing
pressingsocial
socialissue
issueinina aSpanish-speaking
Spanish-speaking country
countryand
andcompare
compareit to how
it to that
how issue
that is is
issue being
being
addressed or ignored in the
the United
United States .
States.Please
Pleaserespond
respondininSpanish .
Spanish.

• Performing/Visual
Performing/VisualArts: As ananartist,
Arts:As artist,what
whatcontemporary
contemporaryideas
ideasorormovements
movements(within oror
(within outside
outsideofof
your artistic
your discipline)
artistic discipline)
are you currently exploring or would you like to explore to contribute to your personal artistic growth? Give specific
examples to support
support your
your answer .
answer. Explain
Explainwhy
whyyou
youfind
findthese
theseideas
ideasorormovements
movementsinteresting .
interesting.

11
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 Governor's School 2021
2020
A Summer Program for Gifted and STUDENT APPLICATION – PAGE 3 OF 6
Talented High School Students

PowerSchool ID#
Emma C Hedinger
Name of Student:
FIRST MIDDLE INITIAL LAST
FIRST MIDDLE INITIAL LAST

ESSAY #1 COMPLETE ELECTRONICALLY, NOT HANDWRITTEN

Identify and
Identify and discuss
discuss one
one or
or more
more of
of the
the most
mostpressing
pressingquestions
questionsyou
youhave
haveabout
abouthow
howthe
theworld
worldworks .
works .How
Howare
areyou
youplanning
planningtoto
pursue answers?
pursue answers?

Learning How to Help

Helplessness is something from which I shy away. Even as a young child, I was fiercely independent, the idea
of relying on other people to do something for me makes me feel selfish. This desire for self-sufficiency has been
amplified as I have matured. My opposition to personal inabilities is emphasized when I learn about injustice in
the world. I want to help every cause I hear about; however, as a young person, I feel that I do not have the
power to make a change big enough to help people. I find myself wondering how I can make an impact on the
world at my age.
I truly began to feel this sense of inability during 2020, when the Covid-19 pandemic and the Black Lives
Matter movement began to dominate the news cycle. I want to help. I want to do my part to stop the seemingly
endless uptick in deaths at the hands of a deadly disease and help fight the systems of oppression and bigotry
that exist in our world. How much influence do I, a sixteen-year-old, really have? It does not seem like a lot. In our
society, the rich and famous have consolidated power, leaving the majority of people without the influence
required to enact meaningful, sustainable change.
So what can we do? In May of 2020, a friend reached out with an offer to join a leadership team for Charlotte
high school students working to elect former Vice President Biden as the United States’ next President. I signed
up, anxious to do something that held the potential to create change. Our team worked to enable North
Carolinians, regardless of political persuasion, to register to vote and find polling places. We educated young
people on the importance of being informed about the world around them and empowered them to take action by
voting and speaking about issues close to their hearts. Our efforts, regardless of the candidate we endorsed,
helped to preserve democracy and boost North Carolinian voter turnout.
The moments that I found most meaningful, however, were not in the hours phone-banking or hosting virtual
symposiums. It was the time spent with my team, a group of similarly motivated young people, all keen to make
an impact on the world, discussing the exact question posed above. Although none of us know the perfect
answer, we all agree that when trying to help people, one must ensure motives are pure, just as one must have
the best interests of all people in mind.
I hope to pursue public policy as my future career, and I know the lessons I have learned from my time with
this leadership team will remain pertinent to my life for years to come. Moreover, until the time comes that I am
able to assist legal changes, I will make it my goal to listen to the wisdom and ideas of those who have
succeeded in helping to better the world.

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 Governor's School 2020
2021
A Summer Program for Gifted and STUDENT APPLICATION – PAGE 4 OF 6
Talented High School Students

PowerSchool ID#
Emma C Hedinger
Name of Student:
FIRST FIRST MIDDLE INITIAL MIDDLE INITIAL
LAST LAST

ESSAY #2 COMPLETE ELECTRONICALLY, NOT HANDWRITTEN

NOMINATION DISCIPLINE As an artist, what contemporary ideas or movements (within or outside of your
artistic discipline) are you currently exploring or would you like to explore to
CHORAL MUSIC - SOPRANO 1contribute to your personal artistic growth? Give specific examples to support
your answer. Explain why you find these ideas or movements interesting.

Societal Reflections

As an artist, I find that I am constantly striving to better myself and my art. No person has ever finished learning,
and my quest for knowledge drives me to educate myself on anything and everything that I find interesting. This
desire to learn is what drove me to take a course on contemporary plays during my Junior year. Modern Dramatic
Literature focuses on literature from the period 1879 to 1956, when playwrights found themselves using epic theater
and absurdism to voice their beliefs on war, human rights, and societal norms. These plays have prompted me to
question the expectations I place on the world, encouraging me to challenge the standards that I hold for our
society, as well as to consider if and how the world should be changed.
Theater is the most accurate depiction of society. Rarely do we find such honest reflection of humankind. One
such example is Eugène Ionesco’s 1950 antiplay “The Bald Soprano,” an absurdist take on the lives and
relationships of three couples. Absurdism, a form of philosophy derived from existentialism, contends that life is
meaningless and that any efforts to explain our actions, identity, communication, and logic are futile. Ionesco is
calling for audiences to reevaluate their lives and see how human connection has lost its intimacy. I found Ionesco’s
dialogue on communication to be especially poignant. At one moment in the play, each character begins to agree
with what the other three are saying without listening to the words spoken. This lack of true communication is
reflective of the fast paced society facing our modern world, where people often seem too self-absorbed to care for
those around them. Ionesco argues that if humanity continues along this path, human communication will become
meaningless. As nihilistic as his play is, I found myself more appreciative of my relationships with others. If, as
Ionesco argues, nothing that humans do truly matters, this makes the things that we as humans cherish all the more
important and valuable. “The Bald Soprano” reminds me to appreciate those I love, as well as compels me to
examine and challenge human behavior and connection.
Freidrich Dürrenmatt’s tragi-comedy “The Visit” also implores its audiences to question what they believe to be
true; however, rather than crique social interaction, Dürrenmatt challenges human morality by posing the question,
“how much money is a human life worth?” His expressionist play, a response to the violence of World War ll, leaves
audiences uncomfortable and introspective as they grapple with the knowledge that even the most ethical person
has a price. Dürrenmatt concludes that violence and greed are human nature, while arguing that justice is never
equal to the original crime committed.
Contemporary literature brings reflection into a world that often seems too fast paced and self-absorbed for
personal contemplation. It depicts humanity’s flaws without restraint, calling on attentive citizens to make some sort
of change. Rarely do I feel the media readily critiques the systems that uphold our social order; therefore, I find this
style of writing to be refreshing and important because it can inspire societal change and reform.

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 Governor's School 2020
2021
A Summer Program for Gifted and STUDENT APPLICATION – PAGE 5 OF 6
Talented High School Students

PowerSchool ID#
Emma C Hedinger
Name of Student:
FIRST MIDDLE INITIAL LAST

PERSONAL READINESS COMPLETE ELECTRONICALLY, NOT HANDWRITTEN

Spanning
Spanningthe
thepast
pastthree
threeyears,
years,listlist
thethe
school andand
school community
communityactivities in which
activities you have
in which been substantively
you have involved
been substantively involved, and any
and any and
awards awards and honors
honors youreceived
you have have received during
during this time.
this time. Please
Please useuse bulleted
bulleted lists.
lists, not(DOparagraphs. (DO NOT
NOT EXCEED THE SPACE EXCEED THE SPACE PROVIDED .)
PROVIDED .)

School Community Awards/Honors

- Aldersgate Virtual Exchange - Arts+ Charlotte Childen’s Choir - Chinese National Honor Society
- Charger House SOS Club Leader - Charlotte High Schoolers for Biden - Dr. Heather Potter Leadership
- Charger House SOS Club Member Leader Scholarship
- Costume Designer (2 shows) - Charlotte Junior Cotillion - Homecoming Court Representative
- Freedom School SOS Club Member - Episcopal Youth Community - National History Bee Contestant
- Global Studies Diploma Candidate Leadership Team - National Honor Society
- Homecoming Volunteer - Episcopal Youth Community Member - National Junior Honor Society
- Network of Complementary Schools - Fill the Bowl Participant
School Exchange - Summer Nanny
- Network of Complementary Schools
Virtual Exchange
- New Student Mentor
- Providence Day School Performing
Arts (6 shows)
- Student Government Representative
- Sustainability SOS Club Member
- Upper School Girls’ A Cappella

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 Governor's School 2020
2021
A Summer Program for Gifted and STUDENT APPLICATION – PAGE 6 OF 6
Talented High School Students

PowerSchool ID#
Emma C Hedinger
Name of Student:
FIRST MIDDLE INITIAL LAST

PERSONAL READINESS continued COMPLETE ELECTRONICALLY, NOT HANDWRITTEN

Explain why
Explain whyany
anytwo
two(2)
(2)of
of your
your listed
listed activities,
activities,awards
awardsororhonors
honorsare
areimportant
importanttotoyou.
you.Use paragraph
(DO NOT EXCEED THEform. (DO NOT EXCEED THE SPACE PROVIDED .)
SPACE PROVIDED .)

I have been a participant in the Network of Complementary Schools since my Freshman year, and I daresay that
experiences with this program have prepared me for college. In ninth grade, I hosted two exchange students, one from New
York and another from Denmark. My newfound friends exposed me to different ideas and beliefs, as well as made fun of my
Southern accent a couple of times! Their bravery inspired me to travel, so in January of my tenth-grade year, I chose to
travel to the Putney School, a decision that tested my independence, determination, and intrepidity. As a result of my
experiences, I am currently a member of a virtual exchange through the Network; a connection that has introduced me to
fellow high school students from across the country and the world, bringing us together amid a pandemic determined to
keep us apart. The friendships and personal growth I have found through the Network have bettered my life, and I hope to
continue building on the lessons that I have learned. These are traits that I attempt to bring to my job every summer while I
nanny for two children in my neighborhood, whom I have grown to think of as siblings. While riding bikes, baking cookies,
and playing in their sprinkler, I work hard to emphasize self confidence, perseverance, kindness, and love; attributes that I
believe are essential in life. I truly love these children, and I find myself eager to get out of bed everyday that I am
scheduled to work, excited to spend the day being taught by them as much as they teach me. Through our time together, I
have rediscovered the thrill of imagination, found the perfect balance between responsibility and fun, and learned how to
see the world from a more innocent and hopeful point of view. I guess it really is true that, “everything I ever really needed
to know I learned in Kindergarten.”

Describe your readiness to commit and contribute to the residential learning community of the North Carolina Governor’s School. Include
Describe your readiness to commit and contribute to the residential or virtual learning community of the North Carolina Governor’s School.
any experiences
Include you haveyou
any experiences with being
have withaway from
being awayyour family
from yourand local
family community
and for significant
local community periods periods
for significant of time. Also, note
of time. hownote
Also, youhow
planyou
to
prioritize
plan Governor’s
to prioritize School over
Governor's other
School summer
over opportunities
other summer (e.g., camps,
opportunities (e.g.,conferences, family events,
camps, conferences, onlineonline courses,
courses, etc.,) etc.) that may
that may arise.arise.
(DO NOT EXCEED THE SPACE PROVIDED .)
As previously mentioned, I regard my experiences with the Network to be self-defining. I had to brave unknown
challenges, while maintaining my academics and meeting new people. Before my trip, I was afraid of what college might be
like for me. As a student who has attended one school my entire life, I sometimes worry that I will struggle to meet friends
and establish myself in a new environment, but my travels to the Putney School proved to me that I am ready to face unique
experiences and challenges. I found that I adapted with ease and worried more about the Vermont winter weather than
fitting in! Of course, I missed my family and friends, but texting, calling, and video chatting (which we all experience now)
were able to ease my homesickness. My success at Putney convinces me I will thrive at Governor’s School. Of course,
should I be accepted, I realize I may miss other opportunities; however, I believe that the choral education that I will receive,
as well as the friendships that will be formed, will be unrivaled to anything else that the summer of 2021 could offer.

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