Story and photos by Brooke Johnson
From dancing since she was four to being accepted into the Kentucky Governor’s School of the Arts (GSA) program for theater as a high school junior, Ryliegh Adams grew up around the arts.
Now a senior at Perry County Central High School, Ryliegh Adams, 17, is part of the theater program and student council. Adams started acting at the age of six.
“My first show was ‘Butterfly Shoes’ with the Little Theatre of Hazard for Summer In The, and I just fell in love with it,” Adams said.
In her art class, Adams is working on a self portrait that cannot use her face. She chose to do the stage from “Butterfly Shoes,” explaining that that’s where it all started.
Adams’ friend told her about GSA, a three-week arts program for high schoolers that takes place at a college campus. Each year, only 33 students out of over 7,000 applicants are accepted.
Adams submitted an application, recorded a self tape, and went to the University of Kentucky, where GSA was held in 2025, for an in-person audition. A month later, she got the acceptance letter.
“I opened it in Walmart, and I was so incredibly excited,” Adams said.
Today, Adams is involved with her church, singing and going on mission trips. Her goal is to attend Montclair State University in New Jersey and pursue a career in playwriting and acting.
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