Like many of you, the weeks I spent at Governor's School were a pivotal point in my life. Since the summer of 1979, I have attended and graduated college, gotten married, and witnessed the birth of three children, but still nothing conveys the sense of belonging, the rare and precious feeling of intellectual freedom, that I experienced at Governor's School. For those of you who attended years ago, you know what I mean. For more recent graduates, well, you'll find out in the years to come that nothing is quite like GS. It is a singular experience, unique in its freshness, its openness, and its creativity.

This web site was created to help bring us all together. Not only should it support alumni in their search for their classmates, it also brings us together across campuses and decades. In the fifteen years that I have been involved with the GSAA, one thing always stands out when I meet alumni. No matter the year attended, no matter the campus attended, no matter their Area I or the current walk of life, there is a common bond of intellectual unity that is present in each. Friends tell me that my GS friends and I speak a different language, but I have found that all alumni speak the same language.

You will find many useful tools here to help keep in touch, as well as a lot of great information on the GSAA, what's up the NC General Assembly, and information on our annual reunions.

I am very proud that in 2008 we began a complete re-design of the GSAA Constitution, allowing us to move our business activity to the web. There, we will be able to move much more quickly to meet the challenges of GS in the 21st century. Collaborative technology will support our mission of keeping the alumni in touch with GS and one another. Please join us and stay informed on the needs of the Governor's School.

Finally, no Web Site introduction would be complete without acknowledging my gratitude to our Web Team. Sam Sanders (GSW 1971) designed much of the site you see today, and we have him to thank. (Why go for style over substance when you can have both?) I cannot thank Sam enough for volunteering his time and talent to maintaining the site. I would also like to thank Mike Pilato (GSE 1992) for his work on the Alumni Database. This feature allows alumni to both search for their friends and update their own information on-line.

Welcome to the GSAA. Be prepared to look back into the past as we step into the future.

Jim Hart
GSAA President
GSW 1979, Natural Science