MILLEDGEVILLE, Ga. — Georgia College and State University is giving 36 high school students the college experience.
The university entered a new partnership with Summer Science Program. The research-based program is designed to give high school students the opportunity to learn advanced concepts.
According to SSP, the program was established 1959. It's now being offered at GCSU. The university said it's a competitive application process, and the first cohort will come from different parts of the world.
Katie Olenn, a Floridian, is a rising junior. She said she found the program online and preferred to stay in the south, near home.
"SSP is just a really great experience and something that everyone should try," Olenn said. “It's really amazing to see how much of a connection and community we've built here."
According to the university, the program offers course work material from a variety subjects with math and science foundations, such as astrophysics, genomics, biochemistry and more.
Olenn said she enjoys collaborating with like-minded people.
"Everyone puts in their little bits of contributions; it's amazing what you can do," Olenn said. "We already have so many traditions and it’s amazing because we can work with people that really understand things and everyone can contribute.”
The students have access to the university's observatory telescope to detect incoming asteroids. Olenn said she's discovered a new passion for astronomy but math is her strong suit.
"I've never coded before, and seeing how far I've come in coding and how far my code has gone," Olenn said. " I'm seeing it working right now so I'd like to see my end simulation come out correct."
Professor of Physics and Astronomy Donovan Domingue assisted the program on another college campus. He said he felt the program needed a home at GCSU. He told 13WMAZ this cohort is the cream of the crop and breezing through the rigors of complicated, college-level coursework.
The students call him 'Doctor D'.
"In my experience, there's been no other group eager to learn from their professors," Domingue said.
Olenn said once the program is complete, she's excited to bring back the new knowledge back home so she can continue reaching for the stars, as she plans for college.
"There's a lot of the more calculus-based physics based that I've learned here, learned from applying it to my asteroid and just in general through P-SETS that are definitely gonna be helpful this year," Olenn said.