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Students from South and other local high schools had the opportunity to take a picture with Governor Nathan Deal. He congratulated the group for their stellar achievement.

A select group of students from South Forsyth High School visited the Georgia State Capitol on Thursday to lobby for AP funding. These students were chosen because of their role in Social Studies-based extracurricular activities. The student co-presidents of SGA (Student Government Association), Jack Slatton and Aashvi Patel, were invited to participate alongside  the officers of Rho Kappa, Lahari Madineni, William Logsdon, Emily Goncalves, Chloe Nathan, and Revanth Tiruveedhi. Arjun Karanam also attended because of his contributions to South’s various student-led organizations and his impressive student achievements. The teacher chaperones who accompanied the group were Tom Wolff, Bradley Frilot, and Travis Pearre. Mr. Wolff teaches AP U.S. History and Mr. Frilot teaches AP Government.

The group began their day by meeting with state legislators, including Brooks Coleman and Valencia Stovall who represent Metro-Atlanta districts in the Georgia House of Representatives. Coleman and Stovall emphasized the importance of taking rigorous classes in high school to promote success among students in college as well as in their future careers. Students received pins to place on the lapels of their jackets with the words “AP Advocates” printed on them. Afterwards, students were released from the “Sloppy” Floyd Building and then  walked to the State Capitol where they spent most of their day.

When they arrived at the Capitol, students from South were greeted by Channel 2 Action News cameras which filmed them as they walked toward the atrium to take their picture with Georgia Governor Nathan Deal who congratulated them on their determination to be the best and brightest students in Georgia. After the photo-op, South Forsyth students were led to the Senate Floor. They took their seats in the gallery and watched as the Lieutenant Governor, Casey Cagle, welcomed House members to share grievances with other representatives. Cagle also congratulated and recognized several groups present in the gallery for their various contributions, including the Virginia Highlands fire department who rescued a baby from a burning building. Afterwards, Michael Williams, the District Representative for Cumming, argued for a renewed and continued protection of Religious Freedoms. The Lieutenant Governor then asked the students from South Forsyth High School to stand in the gallery, and he applauded them for their dedication to pursuing a higher education. South was also recognized for achieving the highest number of passing scores on Advanced Placement exams in Forsyth County for the fourth straight year. This distinction was cheered by the representatives in the gallery below.

Afterwards, South students were escorted to a conference room where they had a quick bite to eat before two more state legislators visited the group of South students. They discussed the budget and their hopes that other lawmakers will recognize the importance of funding AP exams in lou of dual enrollment. After this interesting experience, South students crossed the street and entered a nearby government office building. There, they met Cumming’s (District 27) Georgia House of Representative, Michael Williams. Students posed questions to the politician elected in 2014 as Williams explained why he is running for governor in the 2018 election race. IB seniors Jack Slatton and Aashvi Patel, as well as AP student Lahari Madineni, grilled Williams about his stance on climate change. Williams explained he believed the free market should guide the green movement. He explained that if people choose to buy from companies that are eco-friendly, then these green measures will be implemented by other businesses to improve sales and increase the number of customers.

After the eventful meeting and a brief photo-op with Williams, South’s students visited a Board Of Education Committee Meeting where the subject of social-emotional learning was discussed. This was a valuable experience for students because they had the opportunity to experience first hand the decisions that are made by the state board of education which then filter down into the local school districts. Afterwards, South’s students boarded a bus back to Forsyth County and reminisced about the experiences of the day.

Here is a link to a Forsyth County News article written about South’s AP Day on the hill:

https://www.forsythnews.com/local/education/south-forsyth-students-go-capitol-ap-day-hill/

Here is a link to a College Board press release about AP Day in Georgia:

https://www.collegeboard.org/membership/all-access/academic/ap-day-under-gold-dome-georgia-students-advocate-increased-ap-access