Ballard Junior Named Governor's Scholar

Ballard Memorial High School junior Zoie Overby has been selected for this year’s Governor’s Scholars Program.

This prestigious program is limited to just over 1,000 of Kentucky’s most outstanding students, selected from over 1,800 applicants. The GSP was established in 1983 to provide academic and personal growth through strong liberal arts and co-curricular programs in a residential setting. Scholars will attend this year on the campuses of Northern Kentucky, Morehead State and Murray State universities for the five-week summer experience.

Overby is the daughter of Eric and Susan Bell Overby of Wickliffe. She is a member of the Ballard’s academic team; the district’s choirs and Paducah Symphony Youth Chorus; the yearbook staff, Health Occupations Students of America; Beta and Drama Clubs (president); and freshman class vice-president, sophomore class secretary, and junior class treasurer. 

Overby has volunteered at the Ballard Elementary School fall festival, the McCracken County Animal Shelter, school library, and kindergarten classes at vacation Bible school at First Baptist Church, Barlow, where she is a member.

Her honors and awards include chemistry, English 10; selected for 1st District, KMEA and ACDA National and Junior National Honor choirs. She wrote her essay on how her passion for musical theatre makes her interesting, and plans to focus on biological and environmental issues, forensic science, and political and legal issues at the program.

In her recommendation, BMHS teacher Carrol Wedgewood said, “Zoie is a very tenacious student who works hard to maintain a high level of achievement. She is empathetic, thoughtful and academically gifted. She would be a wonderful asset in the GSP program.”