GREENSBORO, Ga. — Lake Oconee Academy sophomore Shelby Marulo is the first student in Greene County to be nominated for the Governor’s Honors Program (GHP) in Mathematics. GHP is a residential summer program for talented, knowledgeable and skilled high school sophomores and juniors.

According to the GHP Course Descriptions and Selection Criteria, “A GHP student is a sophomore or junior who exhibits an undeniable level of passion in their preferred subject, and an appetite to learn on a deeper level that cannot always be fully satisfied in a high school classroom. GHP caliber students will find ways to study and explore their subjects independently from a classroom environment, at times despite a lack of resources.”

This year’s GHP will be held mid-summer at Georgia Southern University.

“I am thrilled for this amazing opportunity and extremely grateful for this honor. I am beyond excited for the time I will get to spend at GHP and what I will learn while there,” said Marulo.

Marulo was nominated for the Governor’s Honors Program by Danna Seigle, the High School Math and Instructional Coordinator at Lake Oconee Academy and Marulo’s Honors Algebra II teacher.

“Shelby Marullo demonstrates superior mental ability in how she has both retained and is able to apply prior knowledge and skills to make sense of new concepts in mathematics. She enjoys the discovery approach to learning new content but seems most intrigued by the interconnectedness of it all; in fact, she is so intrigued by mathematics that she spends time outside of the educational setting applying it to various parts of her life. This past fall, for example, Shelby used statistics to help her coach and team overcome the devastating absences of star players in the regional volleyball playoffs, and her coach attributes the important win to the data-driven starting lineup that Shelby created. Additionally, Shelby enjoys helping others overcome their misconceptions and fears about mathematics, which I have witnessed both in the classroom setting and after hours during the Math Clinic, where Shelby donates her time to helping others. Volunteering as a Peer Tutor during our Math Clinic just further solidified my belief that she was an ideal candidate for GHP.”

Governor’s Honors County Coordinator Caroline St. John shared her excitement for Marulo receiving this opportunity.

“We are thrilled to celebrate Shelby and her success as a finalist for GHP this year. Her passion for mathematics exudes when she talks about new concepts, running sports stats, or tutoring younger students. She will thrive this summer and in the future. She makes LOA proud.”

While Marulo prepares for this incredible experience, there’s no doubt she has strong support from her teachers and mentors.

“I am so happy for and proud of Shelby for earning this spot in the 2025 Governor’s Honors Program, as she will be open to learning from diverse peers, and they will absolutely benefit from exploring with her. Enabling Shelby to continue developing her deep love for the interconnectedness of mathematics is sure to be an overall win for her entire generation,” said Seigle.