Hi, my name is Caroline Adams and I am a rising senior at Atherton High School in Louisville KY. Film and photography have been a part of my life since I was a little girl. Though I didn’t begin to truly appreciate the power of a photo until taking an Intro to Media Arts class my sophomore year. Ever since then photography has been a big part of my life and is a passion I want to be able to carry with me for the rest of my life. I am incredibly grateful to be a part of a program that has allowed me to expand my creativity and further explore this incredible art form. The friends and memories that I have made these past three weeks will stick with me forever. Peace and Love

Hey guys, my name is Allie-Elise Baird! I am from Somerset, Kentucky and I go to Pulaski County High School as a rising senior. When I was growing up my mom had always had a camera on her taking photos of me and my brothers. When she started making a business out of it I would always watch how she was naturally talented and I knew I had to be like her. During Covid-19 I started to follow in her footsteps slowly working up a clientele and becoming consistent with photography as a career. I never thought of it as art until I slowly realized the variety of vulnerability you can capture in people's emotions through a camera. I was starting to become a storyteller and the idea of that was exciting. The Governor's School of Arts was mentioned to me a year before the application opened and I didnt know if it was something that I thought I was capable of accomplishing. Right before the announcement of my acceptance my boyfriend passed away April 3rd right before he could see my accomplishment. But after going through the GSA experience I realized not only am I a storyteller but I have my own story that needed to be told. Sharing my personal vulnerability is nerve racking but not something that I should avoid. Being able to capture the stories that are personal to people is a dream come true. GSA helped me realize stories are meant to be shared. Peace and love. #DoItForDrew80

Hi my name is Emory Brookins and I’m a senior at Louisville Male High School. I have always felt attached to the indescribable feeling I get recording videos and taking pictures no matter how silly or serious they are. All of my artwork stems from my goal to portray narratives and ideas that change the way people view the world and themselves. Being someone who comes from many backgrounds has made me want to express how beautiful life and people can be in their natural environments. The Film + Photography program and GSA has constantly been setting the bar high for what I can achieve in a small amount of time. We constantly work on projects, both film and photography that helps me reach my goal of being skilled in both mediums. Being provided with opportunities such as colleges and connecting people within the industry has been such a blessing that I will never forget.

Hey! My name is Dillon Cain and I live in the small rural town of Walton, which is located in Northern Kentucky. I am a rising junior at Covington Catholic High School, but my photography journey started way back to when I got my first iPod Touch in 5^th grade. I would always be taking photos and would edit them super vibrantly. That sort of editing has stuck with me over the past 6 years and I still love shooting everything vivid and colorful! In December of 2021, my dreams of making my passion a professional career really came true when internet celebrity and professional dancer Charli D’Amelio duetted a video of mine where I showed off my iPhone photography and it got 16 million views. She gifted me my first professional camera and the exposure from that video got me tons of jobs and a newfound confidence. Since then, I have done shoots for political campaigns, derby red carpets, NKU alumni dinners, weddings, proms, and I have even shot for the governor! I love creating short films as well. I have shot everything from travel vlogs to music videos to psychological horror films. I am active on Instagram and YouTube where you can view my videos and photos at @dcain542. So far, my biggest accomplishment has been getting into GSA as a junior and I am so happy to have been able to develop my technical skills here and become exposed to many new aspects of the film industry. I am blessed to have been given so many opportunities for growth and I want to use my platform, connections, and newfound skills to create a legitimate impact in the world through my artistry.

My name is Elliot Ecker, I live in Lexington and I am a senior at Bryan Station Hight School! I have always appreciated the process of photography and filmmaking however it wasn’t until recently that I actually considered it as a potential career. Film and photography are capable of reflecting our most subtle humor, sophisticated ideas and deepest emotions; because of this I believe this art form in particularly unique and profoundly important. I consider myself very lucky to have been a part of a program that is enabling the next generation of creative thinkers. My experience at GSA has been nothing but positive and I can say with certainty that I want to continue making my art for the rest of my life. Peace and love!

Hey! My name is Alex James. I am from Louisville, Ky, and I am a rising senior at Assumption High School. My passion for filmmaking started with the app “iMovie” and only grew stronger as I aged. When I was 14, I was gifted my first camera and started taking photography classes at my school. Aside from photography, I spend most of my time working in the theatre which is where I found the support group that allowed me to express my love for both film and acting. This ultimately led to me attending GSA. Before GSA I was afraid of making the choice between theatre and film, but throughout my time here I have learned to let my creativity guide and intertwine both of these passions of mine.

Hello! My name is Nate Melvin and I am from Lexington Kentucky! I go to Bryan Station High School as a rising senior. I first started my filming journey back during covid times when I had so much time on my hands and was given a camera for fun. It went from just a point and shoot to actually analyzing the framing and colors of each photo. I also started watching movies with a different view in mind of wondering how each frame was shot. I would begin to film little shorts because I found it cool to be able to record and edit a video to show people my vision through video and mimic the angles of shots in films. I have now seen and collected a ton of movies since then. In my high school I was given the luxury of being able to learn and use nearly every Adobe product which has aided me a lot in my editing process on photos and videos. I always had such a strong passion for film and learning more about it. Being around others like me makes me feel welcome, knowing that they have such a desire for film and photography as I do is amazing.

           Hello! My name is Arabella Morgan and I’m from Florence Kentucky, I’m a rising senior, and I’m a photographer and filmmaker! My mom is a photographer, so she showed me the beauty of being able to capture a memory through photography at a young age. In my photography, I love to capture interesting architecture, human interaction, and nature from a different perspective. Film was something I picked up on my own. I started out by making little movies on my iPad, then eventually fell in love with the art of documentaries. I love being able to show someone's journey and the truth behind who they really are. At GSA I’ve had the honor of creating a documentary about a truly beautiful artist, and I could not be more grateful! GSA has changed my life, I have met the most amazing people here and I will treasure this experience forever. :)

Hey! My name is Hadley Pearl and I'm a senior at Eastern High School in Louisville. I've been taking photos my entire life, since I was a little kid I've always had a camera in my hand. My love for photography was passed down from my father and grandfather who are both incredible photographers. Photography isn’t just a hobby it’s a way of artistic expression. Within all of my photographs I convey a story and emotions. GSA has been an incredible experience for me, I have grown not just as a person but as an artist. Getting to experience so many artistic adventures with people as passionate about photography as I am has truly been life changing. I am so excited to continue working on my art and creating more pieces that I am proud of!

My name is Leila Reilly and I’m a rising senior at Ballard Highschool in Louisville, Kentucky. As a kid I always ran around with my parents’ phone snapping photos of anything I could find, especially flowers, which continues to be one of my favorite things to photograph. I didn’t start doing photography seriously until my junior year when I took a photo 1 class. I quickly became fascinated by the art of crafting a photo so my dad gave me his camera and my cousin taught me to operate it. I’ve met so many amazing and inspiring people at GSA and have learned so much. I love being able to capture the small moments of beauty in life that are so easy to miss. Looking at life as a photographer has taught me to always look for the small moments and little things that make life beautiful.

Hey! I’m Layni Shouse, and I’m a rising senior at West Jessamine High School in Nicholasville, Kentucky. Throughout my high school journey, I have fallen in love with film, watching a new film whenever I had a chance. After watching hundreds of films, I started experimenting with making my own films in my media arts classes and joined my district’s media and event services to take photos at events around my county. I love that GSA gives me an opportunity to learn something new about film and photography each day!

G’Day! My name is Amba Struwig and I am an Australian immigrant now living in Georgetown, KY. I attend Great Crossing High School and Elkhorn Crossing School where I have been a student in the Media Arts program for the last three years. I have taken photos and made films ever since I could hold up the camera, but I only really started to hone in on my art when I got to my freshman year of High School and joined Media Arts, where I learned about the worlds of Premiere Pro and Adobe Lightroom. From there I have made lots of different kinds of projects but really found a draw to creating LGBTQIA+ representation in the media as that was something I never saw growing up but very much needed. My goal is to make LGBTQIA+ stories and hardships present enough so it is no longer deemed “taboo,” “new age,” or “overly progressive”. They will be stories just like anyone else’s. I also find deep inspiration in highlighting the lives of immigrants. I feel the majority of society does not understand what it is like to leave your home unless you go through it yourself, because of that I want people to no longer see immigration as a political issue but a deeply emotional one. GSA has only made me more passionate about film and photography and pushed me to work even harder. I am incredibly thankful for having this experience and meeting everyone involved. Peace and love <3

Hi! My name is Anna Sugg and I’m a rising senior at Sacred Heart Academy in Louisville, Kentucky. My photography journey began during the pandemic when I decided to use my camera to document my family’s daily life in quarantine. When COVID ended, I decided to start taking my craft more seriously, so I joined my school’s newspaper and photography club. These activities have allowed me to gain more confidence in my self, personally and artistically. This confidence then led me to apply to GSA. I am so grateful for this experience, the friends I’ve made, and the knowledge I’ve gained; I know I will cherish my time here for the rest of my life! Peace and Love!

Allison UnderwoodHi, my name is Allison Underwood and I am a rising senior at Dupont Manual High School in Louisville. As soon as I picked up a camera for the first time, I knew that photography was what I wanted to do with my life. I have been taking photos for most of my life, but it wasn’t until about a year ago that I truly fell in love with photography. After taking a photojournalism class last year, I realized that I especially love the storytelling side of photography. Some of my favorite things to shoot are sports photos and street photography, but GSA has expanded my interests in the world of film and photography. So, I am proud to say that GSA has made me a better filmmaker as well as a photographer and I am so grateful for this opportunity. Being surrounded by the most talented teachers and amazing friends who push me to be the best artist I can be has been incredible. Thank you to everyone who has worked so hard to make GSA perfect for my artistic journey and made film and photography such an important part of my life!

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