Avatar Intro: Rebecca Wood

Neatly packaged bags, clothes baskets filled to the brim, the familiar sight of textbook boxes – although the building is different, the setting is all too familiar. As I return to the Gatton Academy, a community of acceptance and fun times, I realize the impact that this program has had on my life.

The decision to come to Gatton was a burdensome task. My brother had graduated in the Class of 2013. I didn’t think I wanted to attend an entirely STEM school, nor did I want to abandon my sports, friends, or dog. I reluctantly applied and was granted an interview. After a four-hour drive from Maysville to Bowling Green, I arrived on the beautiful Western Kentucky University campus, and even saw a white squirrel! Through speaking with student volunteers, staff, and other applicants, I realized that this ‘nerdy’ school might be a place I could call home.

Even though the transition of giving up racing cross country and track, as well as playing soccer, driving a car, and seeing my home friends regularly was unpleasant, I soon grasped how positively significant Gatton would be on my life. The people, the community, the dorm life. The late night runs, the volleyball games, the dance parties. The research, the (finally!) challenging courses, the professors. With every passing day, the Academy became even more of a wonderland. The early tears turned into 2 a.m. laughs, and homesickness to “Mom, I think I’ll stay this weekend, too.”

I can honestly say that this year was the first in which I was sincerely looking forward to going back to school. I am enthusiastic to share what I have learned over the past two semesters with my ‘baby juniors’ and to strengthen the bonds I have made with fellow students, instructors, and staff. I am excited to study Mathematics, French, and Environmental Science, along with pursuing Biophysics research. It is going to be a great year, because with this community, how could it not?