Bluegrass Land and Life Class Visited By Governor Beshear

Madison Morrow, Julia Voskuhl, Opal Voskuhl, and Anna Gordon • May 5, 2025

Governor Andy Beshear taking a picture with students during a surprise visit at Lafayette High School.

On April 22, 2025, Kentucky’s governor, Andy Beshear, made a special appearance at Lafayette High School for Mr. Rouse’s Bluegrass Land & Life class.

This class has spent all year studying the cultural and historical forces that make up Kentucky. They have examined the state’s history, focusing on changes in its politics and the drastic demographic changes seen within the past couple of decades.

What they all believed was just a Zoom call with Governor Beshear left all students in shock when he walked through the doors of Mr. Rouse’s room. Governor Beshear greeted the students by giving some background information on how he attended and graduated from Henry Clay High School. He also spoke about his two children, one a sophomore and the other a freshman in high school.

He also addresses how Kentuckians have gone through a lot over the past five and a half years. When speaking on how COVID-19 affected drastic amounts of lives in Kentucky, Beshear stated “…it was one of the toughest times I can ever remember…but this was a battle every one of us had to fight. We needed the very best from every individual, so thank you for everything you sacrificed at the time.” After such a rough period of COVID-19, it’s rewarding to look back at that time and appreciate how much so many people gave up and put towards keeping people safe, and after that, then working to return us to normalcy.

Then, Governor Beshear highlighted the more positive aspects of his past five years as governor: “We’ve brought in 35 billion dollars of new investment in Kentucky,” which is a new record for Kentucky’s investment, and the former holder of this record was his father, Governor Steve Beshear. In addition to the skyrocketing investment in Kentucky, there have been 60,500 new jobs, and counting, brought into Kentucky.

When Governor Beshear was open to questions, the important question was asked, “What does it mean to be a Kentuckian?” Governor Beshear responded, “In Kentucky, we love the dirt we are from. We have a bigger sense of home than anywhere else. It’s about what connects us as people, what brings us together, and I hope our love for this place and each other.” It’s clear that Governor Beshear truly knows what it takes and how to be a great Kentuckian.

It was an incredible moment for all of the students and teachers involved to see someone so important to Kentucky devote time specifically to visiting students who have spent many hours each week learning more about the incredible state that is Kentucky.

About the Contributors

Madison Morrow, Staff Writer

Madison Morrow is a sophomore, and it’s her second year writing for The Lafayette Times. She is a part of Student Council, and her second year serving on the spirit committee. When she’s not at school, she plays volleyball, loves to listen to music and enjoys reading. For her second year taking part in the The Times, she plans on furthur expressing her love for writing and her social media endeavors.

Julia Voskuhl, Staff Writer

Julia Voskuhl is a freshman at Lafayette High School, and this is her first year writing for the Lafayette Times. Because she loves dancing, she spends most of her day at the dance studio. She also loves writing, and is excited to share her work with others informing the Lafayette community about upcoming events.

Opal Voskuhl, Staff Writer

Opal Voskuhl is a sophomore, and this is her first year writing for the Lafayette Times. She is a member of the Student Council, serving on the spirit committee for the second year. In her free time, she plays volleyball and tennis. She has a passion for writing and social media. She also loves fashion, country music, and traveling.

Anna Gordon, Staff Writer

Anna Gordon is a freshman at Lafayette High School. This is her first year writing for the Lafayette Times. She enjoys dancing, spending time with family and playing with her dogs. She’s danced for 11 years at Bluegrass Youth Ballet. She’s excited to write about big events at Lafayette and happenings going on in the community.