Georgia Member Kellie Motter Shines as Soloist in a Georgia Governor’s Honors Program Choral Concert

Kellie Motter of Johns Creek, Georgia, was chosen as a finalist in the 2008 Georgia Governor’s Honors Program (GHP). Each summer a select group of high school students from across the state are invited to participate for six weeks in a special scholastic program conducted at Valdosta State University. GHP finalists are chosen not only for their academic credentials, but for demonstrated excellence in specific fields such as music, language, communicative arts, technology, and mathematics.

Kellie was selected for “voice.” Now a junior at Chattahoochee High School, she has been voted “Top Vocal Musician” in her class for two consecutive years. She has also performed with the Georgia All-State Chorus for three years running. Kellie was nominated by Ms. Rhonda Fossum, who fosters an outstanding choral and musical theatre program at Chattahoochee.

GHP nominees participate in a rigorous evaluation process, including auditions, tests and in-depth interviews. Once selected, these young Georgians immerse themselves in focused study under outstanding instructors and perform along-side the most gifted students in the state. Kellie and 27 other GHP Vocal Majors were inspired by passionate leadership of Choral Director, Mr. David V. Reimschussel, from Woodland High School in Stockbridge, Georgia. Each summer, the GHP All-Campus Chorus and Orchestra perform a series of concerts to showcase skills and to extend their training. During a concert at Whitehead Auditorium on June 29, Kellie performed the soprano solo of the “Pie Jesu,” the sublime centerpiece of Gabriel Fauré’s renowned work, the “Requiem.” This opportunity to perform as soloist was a highlight in a summer sojourn Kellie will cherish a lifetime. Watch the video.

For Kellie, “it was a life-changing experience,” a sentiment shared by virtually all those who were blessed to spend a glorious summer in the Valdosta program.

Georgia’s Governor’s Honors Program is the longest-running program of its kind in the United States, and has long served as the paradigm for other states to emulate. This preeminent tradition exemplifies a spirit of learning consistent with the mission of the National Society of High School Scholars as espoused by the Society’s founder, Mr. Claus Nobel.

Congratulations to Kellie on her latest success as a musician.